Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed willingness to hand over two captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang if North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un, facilitates an exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held in Russia.
Zelenskyy revealed that one of the North Korean soldiers has expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine, while the other wishes to return to North Korea, as confirmed by interview videos released by Ukrainian authorities.
“If Kim Jong Un even remembers these citizens of his and is capable of organizing an exchange for our warriors being held in Russia, we are ready to transfer such soldiers. Undoubtedly, there will be more POWs from North Korea,” Zelenskyy said during an address late Sunday. He added on the social media platform X that there could be “other options” for North Korean prisoners who do not wish to return to their home country.
South Korean Response and Legal Considerations
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed in a closed-door briefing at the National Assembly that it participated in the questioning of the North Korean soldiers by Ukrainian officials. According to lawmakers present at the meeting, the captured soldiers have not requested to resettle in South Korea.
The NIS stated it would consider discussions with Ukrainian authorities if the soldiers later express a desire to seek asylum in South Korea. Since the late 1990s, approximately 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea, fleeing economic hardship and political repression in their home country.
Koo Byoungsam, spokesperson for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said facilitating the asylum of the North Korean soldiers would require legal and international consultations. “There’s nothing we can say at the current stage,” Koo stated.
The North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces during fighting in Russia’s Kursk border region, where they were reportedly serving alongside Russian troops. According to South Korean intelligence, the soldiers have not indicated any intention to seek asylum in South Korea.
apnews.com
