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Seoul, Kyiv discuss transfer of North Korean POWs to South Korea

by Tim Zadorozhnyy March 17, 2025 3:36 PM 1 min read
A North Korean soldier held after being captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast on Jan. 11, 2025. (Volodymyr Zelensky's social media/ Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukraine is negotiating with South Korea to hand over two North Korean soldiers taken prisoner by Kyiv, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on March 17.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha discussed the potential transfer of the North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) in a phone call.

Cho noted that under South Korea's Constitution, North Koreans are considered South Korean citizens, but the prisoners must express a desire to relocate.

Up to 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast last fall to counter Ukraine's cross-border incursion launched in August 2024.

Ukrainian troops captured two North Korean soldiers as POWs on Jan. 11.

President Volodymyr Zelensky previously reported that North Korean forces fighting for Russia had suffered 4,000 casualties, with two-thirds of the losses being soldiers killed.

Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, attributed the high losses to North Korea's lack of combat experience and its use of human wave attacks with limited equipment.

Rubio asked Hungary not to block EU sanctions, Politico reports
Budapest had initially planned to veto the sanctions renewal, citing U.S. President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the possibility of a shift in U.S. policy toward Russia.

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