Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine is a strategic strongpoint on the route to Odesa. In March 2022, a Russian missile strike half-destroyed the governor’s office. The governor here is Vitaliy Kim, a fourth-generation Koryo-saram.

In an interview conducted locally last October, he said, “Everyone is tired of this war and has forgotten what life without war is like,” adding, “But we must keep moving forward, and we are ready to fight.” The following is a Q&A.

-Please describe the situation in March 2022

“On March 29, 2022, a missile hit my office. More than 200 people were working there. That day, peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine war were being held in Turkey, and in the south our resistance was so effective that Russian forces could not advance. We have an informal ‘back office’ that organizes citizens’ resilience and resistance, and Russia decided to destroy the centers of Ukrainian resistance. Thirty-seven people were killed in that missile attack.”

-Do you think Russia targeted you?

“Yes. The missile struck the office window precisely. It was a precision-guided weapon, and afterward our intelligence services identified who fired it and who gave the order. Even though it was a civilian building, they attacked. They should not have.”

-How did you feel after the attack?

“The emotions you feel because of war are truly varied. Sadly, people get used to everything. Russia kills people every day. This is a brutal strategy. Still, we must keep moving forward and fight. I do not think I will be able to feel personal emotions until the war ends.”

-Were security measures strengthened after the missile strike?

“Everyone in Ukraine is under the threat of ‘Geran missiles (suicide drones).’ I try not to reveal my location, but I work every day and meet ྠvarious people every day. It is impossible to combine complete security with work.”

-Do you feel your life is in danger?

“Yes. I am on a ‘kill list’ compiled by Russia. I am also involved in resistance activities. Therefore I could easily be killed by a missile or another attack.”

-How did you feel on the first day of the war?

“We gathered all our team members, analyzed the situation, and began preparing to resist. We dug in, secured weapons, recruited people, and built a defense system. I truly felt, ‘Life will never return to what it was before February 24.’ I thought everything would change.”

-It is the fourth year since the war began. What has changed?

“Priorities have completely changed. In peacetime, economic recovery, infrastructure construction, development, and social needs came first. Now the priorities are simply defense and the safety of residents. The way decisions are made has also changed. Because every decision can determine people’s lives, the sense of responsibility is much greater. People are exhausted, everyone is afraid, and everyone is at risk, yet our spirit remains strong. We can keep holding out. But I think everyone has now forgotten how we used to work in a peaceful world.”

-North Korean soldiers are Koreans as well. What did you think when you heard they had been deployed to the battlefield?

“It is a very foolish sacrifice. My feeling is… (pauses) that I do not have strong feelings about this situation. Frankly, if South Korean soldiers had come to help us, I would probably feel differently. But North Korea is a closed country, and its people have lived under massive propaganda. North Korean soldiers probably did not know what was happening.”

-Do you think the North Korean military is updating its technology or tactics?

“According to the commanders and intelligence who have observed and analyzed the battlefield, ‘yes.’ The North Korean military has learned a lot on this new battlefield. They corrected mistakes and accumulated experience they will use in future fights. They will have learned how the battlefield operates, what systems Russia has, and which parts of their existing doctrine they should discard. Another thing is that North Korea will begin making drones. They learned that drones are effective and will soon start production. They received technology from Russia and are now able to build their own drones.”

-Do you think South Korean society should pay attention to the North Korean military?

“I think South Korean society should prepare for conflict in some way. Looking at what is happening now, there is a kind of trend toward a third world war. People live in peace, spend money on the economy, society, and development, and are used to improving their standard of living. No one is prepared to fight. But countries like North Korea or Russia, where education levels are low and propaganda is strong, are prepared to fight. They are already trained and know how to wage war. I think South Korea should cultivate a professional military and advance technology to prepare for potential problems.”

-The possibility of war on the Korean Peninsula is still low.

“None of us thought there would be a war, either. I did not believe it. Yet war broke out in just one hour. Europe is the same now. It is not prepared to fight at all. No one believed that World War I or II would begin. No one believed that the Korean War would break out. But wars did happen.”

-You seem to have become a more capable governor since the war.

“Experience and knowledge continue to accumulate. I am not just sitting in my seat; I keep trying to improve. I think I can do good work for my country. My motherland is Ukraine. My blood carries a strong Korean influence, and many aspects of how I act are Korean. I am proud. I was born in Ukraine, and my hometown is in Ukraine, but it is true that Korean blood flows in me.”

-What have you lost in your life since the war?

“Living in fear. Even if the war ends, the fear that it could start again at any time will remain. The next generation will also live in this ‘defense mode.’ We will never go to Russia again, have no contact with Russia, and will live in a very long conflict with a neighboring country. Priorities have also completely changed. In the past, things like well-being, children’s education, making money, achieving goals, and personal growth were important, but now survival, fighting, holding out, and resisting have become the top priorities.”

-The war is dragging on; what do Ukrainian citizens think?

“Everyone is tired of this war. But we have no choice but to accept this situation. We do not have another country, and there is no other time. We have to live in the present. Children are forgetting what a life without war is like. It is a great tragedy. But we have no choice but to get used to it. We are ready to keep fighting.”

Compiled by Park Byung-Ryul

Kyiv (Ukraine) Kim Young-mi, PD specializing in international conflicts