The GyeoRe-Eol Nation Unifed FR CEO Seyul Jang and Mmembers / Photo = the GyeoRe-Eol Nation Unifed FR
(Seoul) - NGO Council for North Korean Human Rights(NGO CNKHR) will host the North Korean Human Rights World Congress in Seoul from Oct. 21 to 24. The group said its main focus will be a new initiative to support the safe return of young North Korean soldiers captured on the battlefield in Ukraine.
According to CNKHR, it has recently received reports from Ukrainian journalists and human rights activists describing dire conditions for the captured soldiers in prisoner-of-war camps.
The North Korean regime has branded POWs as “traitors,” leaving the young men in deep fear of reprisals against their families. Many reportedly suffer from guilt, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm.
Ukrainian forces have so far captured three North Korean soldiers. One took his own life shortly after capture, while the other two show severe anxiety and suicidal tendencies, local human rights officials said. Experts describe their state as “a serious psychological crisis.”
North Korean defectors and human rights activists in Seoul are talking to help Ukrainian prisoners of war / Photo = = the GyeoRe-Eol Nation Unifed FR
On Aug. 10, inmates in Ukraine held an emergency meeting to discuss ways to support the young soldiers’ mental health. They agreed to raise funds to purchase traditional North Korean food and deliver it through Ukrainian rights groups, hoping the familiar meals might provide comfort. Defectors also pledged to send handwritten letters and video messages of encouragement.
Young North Korean POWs captured by the Ukrainian military are suffering from severe suicidal thoughts because they fear their families will be oppressed for themselves. One North Korean officer, POW, has already committed suicide.
Former North Korean soldiers once dispatched to Russia, now living in South Korea, vowed to take an active role. They testified to the grim realities of the battlefield and urged the captured youth to choose freedom with courage.
On Sept. 24, the GyeoRe-Eol Nation Unifed FR(GNU, CEO Seyul Jang) delivered its first batch of aid—including 1.15 million won, 60 handwritten letters, video messages, flyers, and traditional gochujang—to a Ukrainian military press team, which will pass them to the prisoners. Organizers said the packages are meant to provide psychological relief and a sense of connection to home.
60 handwritten letters from North Korean defectors settled in South Korea to young North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine / Photo = the GyeoRe-Eol Nation Unifed FR
GNU plans to continue working with defectors’ networks and Ukrainian rights groups to provide health food, counseling programs, and exchanges of letters and videos.
“Helping North Korean POWs return freely is more than a relief effort—it is a mission to restore human rights and dignity to those forced into battle,” a member of GNU said. “We urgently call for the international community’s attention and cooperation.”
Through voluntary solidarity and international cooperation, defectors and activists hope this initiative will open a path of hope for young North Koreans caught in war.
※ This article was translated into English with the assistance of ChatGPT. If you find any errors, please contact the Freedom Chosun editorial team at mkdkq7@gmail.com