Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "If North Korean Military Prisoners Request Defection, Consult with Ukraine"
NIS Shares Information on North Korean POWs with Ukrainian Authorities
Status of Prisoners Uncertain; Consultation Planned if Defection Requested
The government has recently stated that if the captured North Korean prisoners of war wish to go to South Korea, it will consult with Ukraine. If the North Korean authorities do not acknowledge the deployment, the status of prisoners of war will not be recognized, and in this case, the principle of 'repatriation to the home country' under the Geneva Convention is also unlikely to apply.
Lee Jae-woong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on the 14th, "According to relevant authorities, there has been no statement from the North regarding the defection of soldiers so far," adding, "Since North Korean soldiers are considered our citizens under the constitution, if they request defection, we plan to consult with the Ukrainian side."
Lee Jae-woong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is holding a regular briefing at the Government Seoul Office Annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 14th. Photo by Yonhap News
View original imageThe spokesperson added, "I understand that relevant authorities are communicating information about the North Korean prisoners of war with the Ukrainian side," and "It is currently difficult to comment specifically on the status of the prisoners."
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Earlier, on the 12th, the National Intelligence Service confirmed that "the Ukrainian military captured two North Korean soldiers on the 9th at the Kursk battlefield in Russia," and stated, "We plan to continue sharing related information closely with the Ukrainian intelligence agency (SBU) regarding the prisoners." The following day, the National Intelligence Service reported to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee that these prisoners are combatants belonging to the North Korean Reconnaissance General Bureau, and that they testified they were deployed to Russia believing they were participating in training, unaware of the fact that they were dispatched to the Ukraine war.
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