Seoul, Kyiv Agree to Jointly Address N. Korean Prisoner Issue

(MENAFN) South Korea and Ukraine have formally agreed to jointly address the status of two North Korean soldiers taken prisoner during combat operations in the Russia-Ukraine war, with both governments pledging to navigate the sensitive matter in accordance with international law and humanitarian standards, Seoul's Foreign Ministry announced Saturday.

The agreement emerged from direct talks held Friday between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, on the sidelines of a Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in France, according to Seoul-based media.

The two soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January of last year while actively engaged in combat operations alongside Russian troops — their presence on the battlefield offering rare, tangible confirmation of Pyongyang's military involvement in the war.

Seoul has signaled a clear readiness to accept the prisoners on its soil, a position shaped in part by reports that both captives have expressed a personal wish to be transferred to South Korea rather than returned to North Korea — a prospect that carries grave implications given Pyongyang's well-documented treatment of those deemed to have defected or surrendered.

Concerns over the soldiers' ultimate fate have loomed large in diplomatic circles. Earlier this month, Minister Cho told a South Korean parliamentary session that Kyiv had provided firm assurances that the two prisoners would not be handed back to Russia, directly addressing fears that such a transfer could serve as a back channel for returning the men to North Korean custody against their will.

The case has drawn sharp international attention as one of the most concrete flashpoints at the intersection of the Ukraine conflict and the deepening military alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang.

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