South Korea Says It Is Ready to Accept North Korean POWs Captured by Ukraine
South Korea said it is ready to accept North Korean POWs captured by Ukraine if they choose to move there, while opposing forced repatriation to Russia or North Korea.
South Korea has said it is ready to accept North Korean prisoners of war who fought on Russia’s side and were captured by Ukraine, if they themselves wish to move to the Republic of Korea. Reuters reported this, citing the South Korean Foreign Ministry.
The ministry stressed that Seoul opposes any forced repatriation of North Korean citizens, whether to North Korea or to Russia. South Korea believes that the future of such prisoners must be determined only on a voluntary basis.
Discussions on this issue between representatives of South Korea and Ukraine are scheduled to take place on June 30 in Seoul.
Earlier, in August 2025, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met with relatives of North Korean servicemen who took part in the Special Military Operation and suffered from the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He expressed condolences to the families of those killed.