Key facts
- South Korea will accept North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine if they choose to relocate.
- Seoul's foreign ministry opposes any forced repatriation of these individuals to Russia or North Korea.
- Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in early 2025.
- The captured soldiers have expressed a desire to defect to South Korea.
- South Korean and Ukrainian ministers are scheduled to hold talks on June 30.
South Korea announced it will accept North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukraine if they wish to relocate to Seoul. The South Korean Foreign Ministry stated its opposition to any forced repatriation of these individuals to Russia or North Korea. The announcement follows the capture of two North Korean soldiers by Ukrainian forces in early 2025, who have since expressed a desire to defect to South Korea rather than return to their home country. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged Ukraine to adhere to the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to countries where they face a risk of persecution. North Korea reportedly deployed between 14,000 and 15,000 troops to Russia's Kursk Oblast in late 2024, with estimates suggesting around 6,000 have been killed or wounded. South Korean and Ukrainian foreign ministers are scheduled to hold talks on June 30 to discuss the fate of the captured soldiers.