Ⓒ JoongAng Ilbo / JoongAng Ilbo Japanese version2022.04.23 11:17
The South Korean government has secured information from the countries concerned that there are multiple deaths among South Koreans participating in the volunteer army in Ukraine, and is confirming the truth. If this is the case, it will be the first case of the death of a Korean national since the beginning of the Ukrainian War in February.
◆ “Multiple volunteer army deaths”
A South Korean foreign ministry official said on the 22nd, “The government has recently obtained information that Korean citizens who are participating in the Ukrainian war as volunteers through related countries have died, and is checking whether it is true through multiple routes.” Revealed.
If the death of a Korean national is true, it is presumed that it was due to the situation during the war, and the “country concerned” that provided the relevant information to the government is considered to be Ukraine, the party to the war. It is said that the government will get the information on the 20th.
Accurate information on Korean nationals who may have died is not yet known. Prior to this, six members of YouTuber Lee Gun (38), who was a captain of the Navy Special Squadron, entered Ukraine last month to join the volunteer army, and some returned to Ukraine. However, the government explained that “there are four people who are still staying without permission, and it is estimated that three of them (including Mr. Lee) are active as volunteers.”
◆ “I can’t contact Lee Gun and others”
During that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has tried to contact Koreans who are staying in Ukraine without permission, and has endeavored to confirm the safety through their families. However, there are cases where not only the diplomatic authorities but also the family members are not contacted. If there were any actual deaths, it is highly likely that the person was completely out of contact in this way. Lee Gun is also in a situation where he cannot be contacted at the moment.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is requesting Ukraine and related countries to share the list of deaths known so far. However, because the situation is still under war at the site, it is not easy to accurately grasp the truth even if there is information.
Last month, when the full-scale war with Russia intensified, Ukraine created the “International Brigades”, a militia unit composed of volunteer foreigners. The size and number of participants by nationality are not accurately reported.
◆ Russia treats militias as criminals
A spokesman for the International Brigades, the International Brigades, recently confirmed in an interview with the South Korean media that a part of the Korean militias had been placed on the front line. We will notify the facts through a typical diplomatic contact network and hand over the body. “
Large-scale battles are currently underway in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine and in Mariupol in southern Ukraine. In the capital Kiev (Kyiv) and the western central city of Lviv, the situation is getting worse every day as the missile offensive intensifies.
The worst scenario is Korean casualties, but I don’t know what happens if you become a prisoner of war in the Russian army as a volunteer army. Russia, in particular, has a policy of treating the multinational volunteer army as a de facto criminal. The Russian Ministry of Defense said on the 17th, “Foreign mercenaries are not in the position of combatants under international humanitarian law, and because they participated in the war to make money, they should know that criminal liability and long-term imprisonment are the best results.” Clarified.
The government has also decided to criminally punish Ukrainian immigrants without permission. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already charged six people with the police on suspicion of violating the Passport Act. Police interrogated three of the four who went to Ukraine and returned home before sending them.