Korean Volunteer Confirmed Dead in 'International Legion'... What Kind of Organization Is It? [Current Affairs Show]

Formed for the First Time in 86 Years Since the Spanish Civil War
"15 to 20 Koreans Participated; More Fatalities Possible"

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily 'So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show'

■ Host: So Jongseop, Political Specialist

■ Director: Lee Miri, Producer

■ Guest: Lee Hyunwoo, Reporter

The funeral of a Korean national who died after joining the war in Ukraine was recently held in Kyiv, Ukraine, and the Korean government has officially confirmed this fact. While Ukrainian and Russian media have previously reported that there are Koreans participating in the Ukrainian International Legion and that casualties have occurred, this is the first time the government has officially acknowledged it. As questions grow about how Koreans managed to enter Ukraine-a country designated as a travel ban zone-and even join the fighting, there is also increasing interest in the unfamiliar organization known as the International Legion.

Ukrainian and Russian Media: "More Korean Casualties... 15 to 20 Koreans Participated"

AFP Yonhap News

As of now, only one Korean fatality has been officially confirmed, but according to local Ukrainian media reports, there may be more Korean casualties. In fact, since the war began in February 2022, Ukrainian and Russian media have reported that around 15 to 20 Koreans have joined the International Legion, with 5 to 6 possibly having died.

It appears that the government is conducting verification procedures regarding the identities of the Koreans who participated, but due to privacy concerns and the increased risk to the individuals if their identities are revealed, there is a tendency not to disclose personal details. The Korean national who recently died was a man in his 50s, reportedly killed in combat with Russian forces on the Donetsk front in eastern Ukraine in May.

However, some believe that the actual number of Koreans who entered Ukraine may be higher than reported. There are accounts of young people in their 20s sharing their experiences or photos of joining the International Legion on social media, and it is known that about 10 people per year have entered Ukraine illegally since 2022.

The fact that many return home after only completing pre-frontline training also affects estimates of the overall scale. It is said that when about 300 new recruits join the International Legion, around 200 become frightened and return home before being deployed to the front lines, indicating that the proportion who actually see combat is not high. For this reason, it is believed that more people may have stayed for several months and then returned home without fighting.

The main issue is that Ukraine is designated as a travel ban zone. After joining the International Legion and returning to Korea, individuals can face trial for illegal stay. For example, former Captain Lee Geun was sentenced to one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years, and a young man in his 20s who illegally joined the Ukrainian Legion and stayed for six months was fined 3 million won. Even if such participation is a matter of personal conviction, there are both legal risks and diplomatic burdens involved.

International Legion Formed for the First Time in 86 Years Since the Spanish Civil War

AP Yonhap News

The International Legion itself is unfamiliar to most Koreans. It is rare to see foreign civilians collectively participating in a war simply because a conflict has broken out. This organization is known to have reemerged for the first time in 86 years since it was formed during the Spanish Civil War in 1936. At that time, more than 30,000 volunteers from 53 countries joined to defend the Spanish Republic, but after that, such international volunteer forces disappeared until the war in Ukraine led to their revival.

The Ukrainian International Legion was reportedly formed just three days after the war broke out. As Russia launched a full-scale invasion and Ukraine faced a shortage of troops, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a global appeal via social media for the creation and support of the International Legion.

This appeal drew a much larger response than expected. Many former soldiers with experience in Iraq and Afghanistan from the United States, Canada, and European countries volunteered to join. With air travel nearly impossible, volunteers gathered in Poland and then entered Ukraine overland to form the International Legion Brigade. It is said that over 20,000 volunteers rushed to join in the early days of the war.

However, the reality changed dramatically once they were deployed to the front lines. Even veterans with extensive combat experience reportedly found the fighting extremely challenging. With the introduction of kamikaze drones on the battlefield, the fatality rate was very high in the early stages of the war, and there was a significant increase in cases of "drone phobia" and post-traumatic stress disorder. Many volunteers applied to return home and left Ukraine, and it is now estimated that about 10,000, or roughly half the initial number of volunteers, remain active in the conflict.

Restrictions on International Legion Activities Expected to Continue, Considering National Interests and Postwar Relations with Russia

Ultimately, the outlook regarding participation in the International Legion centers on the possibility of the Korean government tightening regulations. While some argue that it is difficult to completely prevent such activities since they are based on personal conviction, the prevailing view is that they do not serve the national interest.

Since establishing diplomatic relations with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union, South Korea has rarely experienced serious deterioration in relations, and unlike China or Japan, there are relatively few direct conflicts such as border disputes, allowing for extensive cooperation on economic and Korean Peninsula issues. Currently, South Korea is aligning with the United States and Western sanctions against Russia, but has not taken the extremely tough measures seen in the US and Europe, and Russia also appears unwilling to escalate tensions with South Korea.

This is interpreted as Russia needing a country to mediate dialogue with the US and the West, especially regarding a ceasefire and reintegration into the international community. While countries like Turkey and some Middle Eastern nations are currently playing that role, South Korea could also become a mediator. Ultimately, both South Korea and Russia seem interested in quickly restoring relations after the war and maintaining friendly ties that benefit both nations. However, concerns are being raised that continued participation in the International Legion could complicate this process of restoring relations.

The government acknowledges that it cannot unconditionally block individual choices, but given the dangerous situation of war and the clear designation of Ukraine as a travel ban country under the Passport Act, there is speculation that restrictions on volunteer activities may be further strengthened until the war is completely over. As a result, with this recent confirmation of a Korean fatality, the debate is expected to intensify over how far individual decisions to join the Ukrainian International Legion should be permitted and what diplomatic and legal costs the state must bear.