South Korea to accept all North Korean POWs from Ukraine at their request, ministry says
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South Korea will accept all North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia if they wish to do so, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said on June 23.
The announcement comes as Ukraine continues to hold two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in early 2025 after being deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast to fight alongside Russian troops.
The two soldiers had previously expressed their intention to defect to South Korea rather than return to North Korea.
The ministry said it opposes any forced transfer of North Korean POWs to Russia or North Korea and has communicated this position to Ukrainian authorities.
South Korean and Ukrainian foreign ministers are scheduled to hold talks in Seoul on June 30.
Russia and North Korea have not publicly commented on Seoul's latest statement.
On May 13, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the principle of non-refoulement applies to the North Korean prisoners held by Ukraine. The principle prohibits returning individuals to countries where they face a risk of persecution, torture, or other serious harm.
North Korea deployed an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops to Russia's Kursk Oblast in late 2024, with South Korean intelligence estimating that roughly 6,000 had been killed or wounded by early 2026.
North Korean troops sent to support Russian forces were reportedly ordered to avoid capture under any circumstances, including by killing themselves if necessary rather than be taken prisoner. The North Korean military is also promoting what it describes as the "heroic actions" of soldiers who killed themselves in Ukraine rather than be captured, according to Daily NK.
