During the conflicts in the Kursk region of Russia, two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukraine, and discussions are ongoing regarding the future of these prisoners. The foreign ministers of Ukraine and South Korea met to reach an agreement on this matter. South Korea had announced that their doors are open to North Korean prisoners if they seek asylum.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul asked for cooperation from his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha regarding the North Korean prisoners of war in a phone conversation held on Monday. In January, President Volodymyr Zelensky had disclosed that two North Korean soldiers were taken captive in the Kursk region of Russia. It was the first time since the beginning of the war that prisoners were captured alive.

SEEKING REFUGE IN THE MAIN ENEMY

One of the North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine had expressed his intention to seek refuge in South Korea.

The North Korean soldier stated that he was told he was sent to Russia for training and said, “I did not know I would be joining the conflict.”

NORTH KOREAN SOLDIERS IN WAR According to assessments by Ukraine, the U.S., and South Korea, North Korea deployed thousands of soldiers to support Russian forces fighting in Ukraine. North Korean troops are actively participating in a war for the first time since the 1950s.

STATEMENT FROM SOUTH KOREA REGARDING PRISONERS The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Seoul would accept all North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine if they wish to go to South Korea. Kiev disclosed that over 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured in Russia by the beginning of January 2025.

Despite all the losses, South Korea suspects that Pyongyang is preparing to send more soldiers to Russia.