Seoul Confirms First South Korean Killed Fighting in Ukraine Since Russia’s Invasion

South Korea has confirmed the death of a citizen who volunteered to fight in Ukraine, marking the first official acknowledgment by Seoul of a South Korean national killed in the war since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, according to The Korea Herald on November 27.

A Foreign Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that “a funeral for our national who died while participating as a volunteer fighter in Ukraine was held in Kyiv on Nov. 25.”

The ministry did not disclose the individual's identity, but The Korea Herald learned that the deceased was a man in his 50s, surnamed Kim, who was killed in May during fighting with Russian forces in the Donetsk region—one of the most intense frontlines of the war.

As reported by The Korea Herald, the confirmation comes days after Kyiv held a military farewell ceremony for foreign fighters who had been killed in action. Until now, Seoul had publicly maintained that it was still “verifying” reports about South Koreans joining Ukraine’s foreign volunteer units or being killed in combat, despite such accounts circulating for more than a year.

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War in Ukraine

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South Korean nationals are prohibited from entering Ukraine without government authorization. Shortly after the invasion in 2022, the government designated the entire country a no-travel zone. Unauthorized travel carries penalties including up to one year in prison or a fine, and administrative measures such as passport cancellation.

One of the most high-profile cases involved former Navy special warfare officer and YouTuber Ken Rhee, who traveled to Ukraine in March 2022 without permission to join the International Legion, The Korea Herald reported. After returning home due to injury, he was later sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years, for violating the Passport Act and related offenses.

Earlier, Russian pro-war bloggers alleged that North Korean troops have arrived in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region and could be preparing to deploy near the town of Huliaypole as of November 23. These claims have not been independently confirmed.

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