Is the Volunteer Army appropriately aiding in the war between Ukraine and Russia?
Volunteer soldiers’ effectiveness
Actions against international and national laws
Viewpoints of several experts
[해외 특파원 1기 / 김정욱 기자] As more and more citizens from various nations are volunteering as soldiers to aid Ukraine in the war, the rightfulness of the volunteer army has become a very complicated social issue. Although most are European, Ken Rhee, who is famously known to be a youtuber and an ex-soldier, have brought this issue to South Korea too. Even though a lot of people are thanking volunteer soldiers’ bravery, some people are doubting their effectiveness in the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry plans to name the volunteer army the “International Force for the Protection of Territories” and deploy it as an official unit. Experts state that international forces can provide psychological comfort to the Ukrainian residents who are inferior in physical strength and help reinforce international public opinion and Zelensky’s leadership. Nevertheless, there is little possibility that it will in fact help the war. Young-Joon Kim, a professor at the Graduate School of Security at National Defense University declared, “International cooperation seems to be beautifully achieved, but in reality, so-called bluffers who only fill the pride of helping others can come in.” There are also concerns that confusion and damage could be increased on the battlefield. Researcher Jin-Ho Doo recited that, “volunteer army don’t know the historical context of the war, and I doubt how Ukraine can deploy volunteer forces with different languages and cultures to combat effectively.” Furthermore, accidents such as frequent mis attacks or accidental collisions between volunteer soldiers might occur, deterring the harmony amongst soldiers.
Legal issues are raised in addition to the military effectiveness of the volunteer army. In South Korea, it can be a violation of the passport law by visiting travel prohibited areas, and if you participate in the war, you can be punished for a preliminary crime. Pre-crime is established when an individual conducts combat against a foreign country at will, even without a government declaration of war or a military order. If a person obligated to serve in the military leaves the country without the government’s permission, it further violates the Military Service Act.
Moreover, volunteer soldiers may not be able to be protected by international law. Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed, “Foreign mercenaries coming to Ukraine are not combatants under international law, and they will receive at least criminal punishment when arrested.” According to the Geneva 3rd Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners, the Volunteer Corps can be recognized as combatants only if several conditions are met. Conditions such as being directed by those responsible for their subordinates, having a fixed identification mark that can be recognized from a distance, carrying weapons openly, and operating in accordance with war laws and practices.
Professor Young-Joon Kim expressed, “It is difficult to be guaranteed more than the right to self-defense when the Russian military tries to kill the volunteer army that are not even organized as a formal unit or trained. If some of the Korean volunteer forces are captured, it may take a lot of national power to get them out.” Therefore, there is an opinion that it is desirable to strengthen humanitarian support for refugees gathered in border areas rather than participating in volunteer forces. Doo-Hwan Ahn, a professor of political diplomacy at Seoul National University asserted that there is a prediction that Ukrainian refugees could be the largest since World War II. He strongly voiced that it is the right direction to raise anti-war public opinions and strength humanitarian support in South Korea, which seems to be relatively weaker than participation.
