North Korean POWs in Ukraine awed by basic comforts
North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine feel as if they've "stepped out of a time machine," according to experts cited by "The Times." Ukrainian investigators have reported that North Korean soldiers are amazed not only by the presence of toilets and running water in buildings, but also may not realize they have certain rights as prisoners of war.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that two North Korean soldiers were taken captive. As noted by "The Times," these captures are among the first North Korean prisoners of war taken in combat since the Korean War ended in 1950.
President Zelenskyy declared that Ukraine is ready to hand over these individuals to Kim Jong Un, if he can arrange their exchange for Ukrainian soldiers held in Russia.
Kim Jong Un's soldiers are unaware of their current location and are surprised by amenities like warm running water and indoor toilets, which contrast with outdoor ones. Daniel Tudor, co-author of the book "North Korea Confidential," compares their experience to someone from Victorian England arriving in modern England. While basic societal aspects are similar, the technological differences are significant. "They could be surprised by something as basic as everybody having hot running water or a toilet in their houses," he says.
There are also video recordings of interrogations where the prisoners admit they do not know where they are. When asked about their desire to return home, one nods, answering "yes," while the other expresses, "I want to live in Ukraine."
The North Korean soldiers may have been unaware of their rights as prisoners of war, and their responses might have been influenced by fear of torture or death, believing any wrong answer could lead to severe consequences.
Could the North Korean military contingent soon be destroyed?
President Zelenskyy on X, a few days after the prisoners' arrest, wrote: "Communication between captured North Korean soldiers and Ukrainian investigators continues. We are establishing the facts. We are verifying all the details. The world will learn the full truth about how Russia is exploiting such guys, who grew up in a complete information vacuum, utterly unaware of Ukraine, and who are being used by Russia solely to prolong and escalate this war."
Analysts from the American Institute for the Study of War estimate that at the current rate of losses, the 12,000-strong North Korean military contingent in the Kursk region could be destroyed within the next three months.
