South Korea moves to receive two North Korean POWs captured in Ukraine
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun announced on Monday that Seoul and Kyiv are preparing for high-level discussions regarding two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting alongside Russian troops.
The issue is expected to be a key agenda item during talks with the Ukrainian foreign minister, who is scheduled to visit Seoul on June 30.
According to South Korean officials, the two sides have already reached a preliminary understanding regarding the transfer of the soldiers to South Korea.
Seoul stated that any transfer would be carried out in accordance with the wishes and free choice of the individuals involved, in line with international humanitarian principles.
Officials indicated that the two North Korean servicemen may have expressed a desire to defect and seek asylum in South Korea rather than being repatriated to North Korea.
If completed, the transfer would mark a highly sensitive diplomatic development amid growing military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.