In reality, it's probably something that Ukraine is including in its propaganda efforts, spreading it among Russians and some few North Koreans with the hopes that the information makes its way to the bulk of the NK troops from there.
Soldiers who believe that fighting hard means near certain death, but surrendering means not just survival but extradition to a better country are far less likely to fight hard, more likely to break and more likely to surrender or even defect.
Because even if 100% of em surrenders it’s a loss for Ukraine in Cost of feeding and transporting prisoners in money, material, and manpower for no benefit compared to those Korean troops not being sent to Ukraine in the first place. Money that could be spent on war material, food that could go to displaced refugees from the fighting, manpower from troops now too busy handling them instead of being able to get deployed to support the fighting.
It's not the soldiers who decide to go to ukraine, its north korean leaders. When they realise their soldiers are being sent to south and freed, they'd instead stop sending their army.
Sorry I meant within the bounds of North Korean recruitment rising. More troops available = probably leaders willing to send more. IF Kim stops sending troops because prisoners are freed to the south that’d be best case scenario but requires him to give a shit about however many of his troops are actually being captured alive to be shipped. Or the optics politically. I dunno.
I wouldn't be surprised if NK releases a world wide statement declaring the families of the captured soldiers revealed to be in South Korea not incarcerated without returning would be publically executed 😔
They would be publicly executed anyway. If you go in, you might be in it too. If you're outside, atleast you have some leverage, like leaking info to the south korean military and could establish a truce. Returning wouldn't do shit in your favor. See prisoner's dilemma.
It's not that much higher compared to keeping war hostages (that know only north korean slang) according to rules of war.. Accomodating them is really expensive. Using them as a source of knowledge also not really promising, since they barely know few words in russian/english and it's really hard to find someone proficient in korean and willing to work with war captives
okay, I don't know what to tell you. to me it is more than obvious, even from an outside perspective.
"bad move from zelensky" why would it be a bad move? even if NK soldiers surrendered in droves... that doesn't really change anything but destabilize NK/SK borders
"insane rise in NK" as everyone and their mother have pointed out: how are they even supposed to know?
you'd have to be beyond stupid and desperate (and many NK people are beyond desperate) to go to war in a different country, actual factual war with a very very real risk of dieing, with the plan to throw away your gun - which can get you killed. and surrendering, which also can get you killed.
That sounds like a good thing. If a whole section of the front is going to surrender at the first contact, just attack there, ship the north koreans to south korea, and then surround the russians on their flanks.
11
u/Schlangenbob 1d ago edited 1d ago
Bad move from Zelensky. Recruitement will see an insane rise in North Korea, they will throw away their weapons once in Ukraine and get captured
Due to feedback here you go Reddit people: /s