Ryu Seong-hyeon
Ryu Seong-hyeon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ryu Seong-hyeon |
| Other names | Ryu Seong-hyun |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 2020 - present |
Ryu Seong-hyeon (Korean: 류성현) is a North Korean defector and former soldier who gained international attention after his rare defection across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to South Korea in 2019.[1][2] He is known for his advocacy for human rights and Korean unification, and he serves as a media commentator on North Korean military affairs.[2][3]
Early life and Military Service
Ryu was born in Kangwon Province, near the inter-Korean border in North Korea.[2] As a teenager, he found a South Korean propaganda leaflet which claimed the North had started the Korean War, contradicting official North Korean history.[2] This incident planted a "seed of doubt" about the regime's narratives and motivated him to seek a life in South Korea.[2]
He served for seven years as a driver in the North Korean air force in South Hamgyong Province.[2] During his service, he endured severe living conditions, including poor food (eating mushy rice mixed with corn and rarely having meat) and physically demanding labor.[2] He later stated that at the time, he would have even volunteered to go to war in Ukraine if it meant better food.[2]
Defection to South Korea
In 2019, Ryu made a rare and dangerous defection by running across the heavily fortified and mine-riddled DMZ.[1] He successfully crossed the border despite coming under fire from North Korean troops; he later recalled hearing twelve bullets pass just a meter over his head.[2]
Upon his defection, he weighed only around 110 lbs due to malnutrition, a condition common among North Korean soldiers.[1]
Life in South Korea and Activism
After arriving in South Korea, Ryu adapted to his new life and became a university student.[2][4] He became involved in advocacy work, promoting human rights and a unified Korea through organizations like the Global Peace Foundation.[1]
Ryu has become a prominent media commentator, providing insights into the lives and mindsets of average North Korean soldiers to international outlets, including the BBC, ABC News, and the Wall Street Journal.[4]
Russia-Ukraine War
Ryu gained significant attention in late 2024 and early 2025 for his analysis of the deployment of North Korean troops to the Russian frontlines in Ukraine.[5] He has stated that North Korean soldiers are told their families will face execution if they are captured alive, leading many to prefer suicide over surrender.[6][7]
He has described the North Korean soldiers sent to Russia as "cannon fodder" who are often young, underfed, and cut off from the outside world.[2] He confirmed the authenticity of a diary found on a deceased North Korean soldier by Ukrainian forces, identifying the handwriting and phrasing as distinctly North Korean.[2]
References
- ^ a b c d "Families of North Korean troops captured in Russia 'will be executed,' former Pyongyang soldier tells ABC News". ABC News. March 4, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Leaflet liberation: How scraps of paper stirred a North Korean soldier to defect". NK News. August 1, 2025.
- ^ "Defectors offer insight into mindset of North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine". NBC News. January 28, 2025.
- ^ a b "Why North Korean Soldiers Are Prepared to Die in Russia". Wall Street Journal. November 10, 2024.
- ^ "North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine warned not to surrender". National Security News. April 4, 2025.
- ^ "Don't underestimate North Korean troops in Russia, ex-soldiers tell BBC". BBC. December 19, 2024.
- ^ "If North Korean soldiers fighting in Ukraine-Russia war are captured 'their families will be executed'". The Independent News. October 2, 2025.