[COVER STORY] Zelenskyy's disclosure of NK POW transfer raises risks for families: experts
For two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 while fighting for Russia, their recent arrival in South Korea, where they requested to go, offers freedom and the prospect of a new life. But for their families left behind in the North, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of the transfer may have heightened potentially life-threatening risks,…
![[COVER STORY] Zelenskyy's disclosure of NK POW transfer raises risks for families: experts](/img/14392139)
Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025, while fighting for Russia, have been transferred to South Korea, where they requested asylum. This move by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy offers freedom and a chance at a new life for the soldiers, but it may also have heightened risks for their families left behind in North Korea, according to experts.
The families may already be vulnerable, and their situation could worsen after Zelenskyy disclosed the soldiers' transfer during his U.N. General Assembly speech on September 23. Potential consequences for the families include forced relocation to remote mountainous areas, loss of official positions, and increased surveillance, although these possibilities remain unconfirmed.
Ahn Chan-il, a North Korean expert, stated that North Korea had probably already banished the families to remote areas and stripped those in official positions of their posts.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
