"If Captured, You're a Traitor"... Why the North Korean POW in Ukraine Suffered Severe Facial Injuries

Self-Inflicted Injuries While Refusing to Surrender
Ukrainian Medical Staff Testify

Ukrainian medical personnel have testified that the facial injuries of a North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces in January last year were self-inflicted.

Rimo, a North Korean prisoner of war captured by the Ukrainian military in 2024. Photo by The Asia Business Daily Database

According to NK News, a U.S.-based media outlet specializing in North Korean affairs, on the 22nd (local time), anesthesiologist Ihor Maksymyshyn of Ukraine's 95th Separate Air Assault Brigade described the situation in a documentary released late last month, explaining how he treated Mr. Ri Mo, the North Korean prisoner of war.

Maksymyshyn said, "He suffered extremely severe facial injuries. His face was badly crushed, his lower jaw was broken, and the upper part of one of his arms was also injured." He added, "The most serious injury, a facial trauma that caused massive bleeding, was the result of self-harm." Maksymyshyn further explained, "He did not want to surrender, and so he attempted an extreme act."

In an interview on MBC's 'PD Notebook' released in January, Ri said, "I regret that I was ever born. Becoming a prisoner of war is the same as being a traitor, as if I've betrayed my country," and, "Others committed suicide to avoid becoming prisoners, but I couldn't do it. If I'd had a grenade, I might have died rather than be captured, but now, for the rest of my life, I feel the regret of not dying back then will return to me a hundredfold."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced in January last year that two North Korean soldiers had been captured. Among them, a sniper born in 1999, who appeared to have sustained an injury to his jaw, was shown with bandages wrapped around his face. At the time, Ukrainian authorities did not disclose the specific cause of the injury.

Maksymyshyn explained that medical staff quickly administered the necessary treatment so the prisoner could provide information and cooperate with investigations by relevant agencies. He also said that the capture of the soldier served as evidence proving "the involvement of North Korea on the side of the enemy (Russia)."

Recalling his experience treating the North Korean prisoner of war during the western Russian Kursk operation, he said, "At that time, everyone had heard of North Korean soldiers, but no one had ever seen one in person."

North Korea began dispatching troops to Russia in October 2024. From the end of that year, the deployed soldiers engaged in combat alongside Russian forces against the Ukrainian military. According to NK News, more than 16,000 North Korean troops have been sent to Russia so far. The cumulative total, including those rotated in and out, is estimated at about 25,000.

The future status of the two captured North Korean prisoners of war has yet to be decided. In interviews with local media and letters sent to organizations of North Korean defectors, they have expressed their wish to go to South Korea.

However, legal issues remain regarding their possible repatriation. Article 118 of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners of War stipulates that prisoners of war should be repatriated after the cessation of hostilities. However, under international humanitarian law, forced repatriation to a country where they may face persecution can be restricted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.