South Korea‘s National Intelligence Service recently addressed a closed-door meeting of the country’s National Assembly, during which it reported that the North Korean prisoners had not expressed any wish to defect from their home country.

“Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un’s soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options available. In particular, those who express a desire to bring peace closer by spreading the truth about this war in Korean will be given that opportunity.”

Videos shared by Zelensky show North Korean soldiers captured by the nation’s military and being subjected to interrogation.

In one video, a North Korean soldier appears to tell Ukrainian interpreters that he did not know where he was and that his commander had told his company that they were undergoing special training.

The soldier then tells the interrogator that he would prefer to stay in Ukraine rather than return to his own country, contradicting the reports of no willing defectors.

The release of these videos, alongside photos and other documents recovered from soldiers, is so far the most comprehensive traunch of evidence that the Korean People’s Army is aiding Russian forces in their invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine estimated that approximately 300 North Korean soldiers have been killed in the conflict, with an additional 2,700 injured.

The South Korean National Intelligence Service said Korean People’s Army personnel are encouraged to commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner.

Zelensky has made similar claims, saying, “Russian forces and other North Korean military personnel usually execute their wounded to erase any evidence of North Korea’s involvement in the war against Ukraine.”

The possibility for the soldiers to apply for asylum reportedly remains open but would trigger a headache-inducing amount of paperwork for government workers in South Korea, Ukraine, and elsewhere.

Unification Ministry spokesman Koo Byoungsam told the Associated Press that “legal reviews, including on international law, and consultations with related nations” would be required to extend asylum to the former combatants.

“If Kim Jong Un even remembers these citizens of his and is capable of organizing an exchange for our warriors being held in Russia, we are ready to transfer such soldiers. Undoubtedly there will be more POWs from North Korea,” Zelensky said.

Neither Russia nor North Korea has explicitly acknowledged the presence of the Korean People’s Army in Ukraine.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un have celebrated and strengthened their mutual defense agreements over the past year.

It is widely feared by South Korean officials that Korean People’s Army personnel are gaining crucial combat experience through their participation in the invasion, bolstering their military’s capabilities in modern warfare.