https://sputnikglobe.com/20240417/get-hired-then-die-ukraine-seeking-out-mercenary-recruits-in-south-korea-1117971288.html
Get Hired, Then Die: Ukraine Seeking Out Mercenary Recruits in South Korea
Get Hired, Then Die: Ukraine Seeking Out Mercenary Recruits in South Korea
Sputnik International
Ukraine recently attempted to recruit mercenaries in South Korea, according to materials obtained by Sputnik. However, the results of the recruits falls short of expectations.
2024-04-17T13:07+0000
2024-04-17T13:07+0000
2024-04-17T13:23+0000
world
ukraine
ukrainian crisis
russian armed forces
volodymyr zelensky
valery zaluzhny
mercenaries
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Since April 10, messages have been circulating throughout South Korean internet communities urging netizens to join Ukrainian mercenary groups. The text specifies that candidates must have minimal physical training and be deemed "generally adequate," between the ages of 20 and 35. The message also states that professional training such as the ability to operate UAVs, skills in field medicine, military engineering, or sniper rifle usage will increase one's chances of being hired.The message included a Telegram contact for potential candidates to submit their application forms and personal information, such as details about their military service, participation in qualification courses, and past combat experience. Additionally, knowledge of foreign languages is mentioned as an optional qualification. Along with the message was a video showcasing a Ukrainian militant group in action, demonstrating the basic physical requirements needed for modern warfare. The photos included in the message featured servicemen donning chevrons with the Ukrainian flag.Although direct links were not provided, Sputnik was able to use the available data to identify the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian military community, where the video was originally published in November. Western media outlets that aired the footage suggested that it depicted hostilities near the town of Kremennaya, which was liberated by the Russian Armed Forces early on in the special military operation.An identical recruitment ad was posted on the mentioned Telegram channel on April 4 and 8. After that, the message made its way into the public domain, translated into Korean. Volodymyr Zelensky previously made reference to this Ukrainian militant community, lauding the Ukrainian special forces. Following this, Zelensky shared a photo of himself donning an outfit adorned with symbols of this group. Promptly following suit, was the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, who put on the same uniform.The symbols displayed allowed experts to associate this militant community with the nationalist Azov* battalion, whose leaders were seen with these chevrons.'Stop Fooling Around and Surrender'The post, which garnered over 26,000 views in the South Korean online community, was met with harsh and skeptical comments from netizens. Internet users pointed out that the physical training requirements did not meet the standards expected of serious special forces. They concluded that the Kiev regime was seeking mere cannon fodder, whose sole purpose was to die after being recruited. Some urged Ukraine to cease fooling around and surrender. Additionally, some individuals expressed concerns that South Korea's participation in the Ukrainian conflict had already compromised security on the Korean peninsula.In March, the same South Korean resource had a post about the "foreign volunteers" recruitment to the International Legion by the intelligence directorate of Ukrainian Defense Ministry.How Many South Korean Mercs Are in Ukraine?According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 15 South Korean mercs have arrived in the special military operation zone, and five of them have been eliminated. Earlier, the Ministry indicated that as of June 17, 2022, 13 South Korean mercenaries were in Ukraine, eight of them went missing, four were eliminated, and one remains. Thus, over the past year and a half, Kiev has managed to recruit only two mercenaries from South Korea, and one of them apparently died.It is uncertain if South Korean mercenaries are still present in Ukraine. In March 2022, the South Korean Foreign Ministry disclosed that 9 South Koreans had gone off to fight on Kiev's behalf. Subsequently, it was revealed that one of them was an active Marine who was promptly deported to Poland and repatriated a month later. Following a year of court proceedings, he was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for desertion from his unit without authorization and attempting to engage in a conflict on behalf of a foreign nation. Lee Geun (also referred to as Rhee Keun), the notorious South Korean combatant in Ukraine and former special forces soldier turned popular video blogger, recently made headlines. He gathered a group of individuals to fight as part of the International Legion in Ukraine, only to return to South Korea and face legal consequences. He was given suspended sentences for violating migration laws by entering a forbidden zone, which the South Korean authorities have designated Ukraine as of January 2022.On March 15, 2023, South Korean media reported on the return home of another former South Korean special forces soldier, Kim Jae-kyung, who went to Ukraine in October 2022 and returned after four months of fighting in the International Legion.The fate of Kim Jae-kyung and other citizens from the Republic of Korea who traveled to Ukraine to fight has not been revealed. The South Korean Foreign Ministry has yet to confirm the deaths of its citizens, stating that they are currently in the process of verifying the information.*Azov battalion is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240311/uk-mercenary-fighting-for-ukrainian-military-commits-suicide-upon-arrival-home---reports-1117250407.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240304/greek-foreign-legion-mercenary-fighting-in-ukraine-is-harder-than-in-afghanistan-1117117972.html
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Get Hired, Then Die: Ukraine Seeking Out Mercenary Recruits in South Korea
13:07 GMT 17.04.2024 (Updated: 13:23 GMT 17.04.2024) Ukraine recently attempted to recruit mercenaries in South Korea, according to materials obtained by Sputnik. However, the results of the recruits fall short of expectations.
Since April 10, messages have been circulating throughout South Korean internet communities urging netizens to join Ukrainian mercenary groups. The text specifies that candidates must have minimal physical training and be deemed "generally adequate," between the ages of 20 and 35. The message also states that professional training such as the ability to operate UAVs, skills in field medicine, military engineering, or sniper rifle usage will increase one's chances of being hired.
The message included a Telegram contact for potential candidates to submit their application forms and personal information, such as details about their military service, participation in qualification courses, and past combat experience. Additionally, knowledge of foreign languages is mentioned as an optional qualification.
Along with the message was a video showcasing a Ukrainian militant group in action, demonstrating the basic physical requirements needed for modern warfare. The photos included in the message featured servicemen donning chevrons with the Ukrainian flag.
Although direct links were not provided, Sputnik was able to use the available data to identify the Telegram channel of the Ukrainian military community, where the video was originally published in November. Western media outlets that aired the footage suggested that it depicted hostilities near the town of Kremennaya, which was liberated by the Russian Armed Forces early on in the special military operation.
An identical recruitment ad was posted on the mentioned Telegram channel on April 4 and 8. After that, the message made its way into the public domain, translated into Korean.
Volodymyr Zelensky previously made reference to this Ukrainian militant community, lauding the Ukrainian special forces. Following this, Zelensky shared a photo of himself donning an outfit adorned with symbols of this group. Promptly following suit, was the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, who put on the same uniform.
The symbols displayed allowed experts to associate this militant community with the nationalist Azov* battalion, whose leaders were seen with these chevrons.
'Stop Fooling Around and Surrender'
The post, which garnered over 26,000 views in the South Korean online community, was met with harsh and skeptical comments from netizens. Internet users pointed out that the physical training requirements did not meet the standards expected of serious special forces. They concluded that the Kiev regime was seeking mere cannon fodder, whose sole purpose was to die after being recruited.
Some urged Ukraine to cease fooling around and surrender. Additionally, some individuals expressed concerns that South Korea's
participation in the Ukrainian conflict had already compromised security on the Korean peninsula.
In March, the same South Korean resource had a post about the "foreign volunteers" recruitment to the International Legion by the intelligence directorate of Ukrainian Defense Ministry.
How Many South Korean Mercs Are in Ukraine?
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 15 South Korean mercs have arrived in the special military operation zone, and five of them have been eliminated. Earlier, the Ministry indicated that as of June 17, 2022, 13 South Korean mercenaries were in Ukraine, eight of them went missing, four were eliminated, and one remains. Thus, over the past year and a half, Kiev has managed to recruit only two mercenaries from South Korea, and one of them apparently died.
It is uncertain if South Korean mercenaries are still present in Ukraine. In March 2022, the South Korean Foreign Ministry disclosed that 9 South Koreans had gone off to fight on Kiev's behalf. Subsequently, it was revealed that one of them was an active Marine who was promptly deported to Poland and repatriated a month later. Following a year of court proceedings, he was sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for desertion from his unit without authorization and attempting to engage in a conflict on behalf of a foreign nation.
Lee Geun (also referred to as Rhee Keun), the notorious South Korean combatant in Ukraine and former special forces soldier turned popular video blogger, recently made headlines. He gathered a group of individuals to fight as part of the International Legion in Ukraine, only to return to South Korea and face legal consequences. He was given suspended sentences for violating migration laws by entering a forbidden zone, which the South Korean authorities have designated Ukraine as of January 2022.
On March 15, 2023, South Korean media reported on the return home of another former South Korean special forces soldier, Kim Jae-kyung, who went to Ukraine in October 2022 and returned after four months of fighting in the International Legion.
The fate of Kim Jae-kyung and other citizens from the Republic of Korea who traveled to Ukraine to fight has not been revealed. The South Korean Foreign Ministry has yet to confirm the deaths of its citizens, stating that they are currently in the process of verifying the information.
*Azov battalion is a terrorist organization banned in Russia.
