The Presidential Office said on the 24th that it maintains a consistent position that the issue of North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine "must be resolved in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles."
The statement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed in his address to the U.N. General Assembly on the 23rd that Ukraine had recently sent two North Korean soldiers captured by its forces to South Korea.
In a notice to the press, the Presidential Office said, "On the issue of North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine, the government respects the free will of those involved." It added that it has "conducted necessary communication and consultations with Ukraine and other relevant countries and institutions in line with this position." The office also said, "As this is a sensitive matter involving the personal safety of those concerned and their families, we ask for your understanding that we cannot confirm whether individual personnel have been transferred, the timing or route, or the specific details of consultations between the two countries." The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the same position.
With the transfer of the North Korean prisoners to South Korea now public, diplomatic circles are closely watching the implications for cooperation between Seoul and Kyiv, along with the broader question of defection and captivity among North Korean troops deployed to Russia.
In his U.N. address, Zelenskyy said, "We recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea." He added that such soldiers are difficult to capture alive, saying that one of them tried to take his own life when he realized he was about to be taken prisoner and was shocked that fate would not let him die.
"This is how they raise people in North Korea," he said, criticizing the regime for stripping them of "their freedom and their right to choose." He also appealed to the international community, asking why North Koreans should give their lives in a war against Ukraine, and whether such forces should be given more time to learn how to wage war.
