On 19 February, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine will be accepted if they seek asylum, Bloomberg reported. The Ministry emphasized that “North Korean soldiers are our citizens under the Constitution” and that recognizing their free will aligns with international law and customs.
South Korea’s statement came after a captured North Korean soldier, in an interview with the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, expressed his desire to defect to Seoul. The newspaper cited an unnamed Ukrainian official who stated that the final decision on the soldier’s fate would depend on South Korea’s stance.
North Korean propaganda claimed South Koreans operate Ukrainian drones, POWs disclose
Earlier, Ukrainian authorities announced the capture of two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast. Ukraine also stated that it was open to returning the captured troops to Pyongyang if North Korea agreed to exchange them for Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia.
South Korea confirmed that it has communicated its position to Ukrainian authorities and is engaged in discussions regarding the handling of captured North Korean troops. The Ministry stressed that “they should not be sent against their will to a place where there’s a threat of persecution.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously reported that around 4,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or injured fighting alongside the Russian forces against Ukrainians.
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