Ministry of Foreign Affairs: "Coordinating Visit of Ukrainian Foreign Minister... Discussions on North Korean Prisoners Expected"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is coordinating with Ukrainian authorities regarding the schedule for a visit to South Korea by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and discussions are expected to include the issue of North Korean prisoners of war who have expressed their intention to defect to South Korea.

Park Il, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is announcing the results of the Hormuz Namuho incident at the Government Complex Seoul on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News

Park Il, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said during a briefing held at the Government Complex Seoul on the 12th, "If the visit takes place, there will be discussions on the overall bilateral relationship." While the schedule has not yet been finalized, it is reportedly likely to occur next month.

If the visit proceeds, discussions are also expected regarding the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine. Previously, two North Korean soldiers who were deployed to the Russian army and captured by Ukrainian forces in January last year expressed their intention to defect to South Korea.

Spokesperson Park stated, "Through multiple rounds of high-level consultations between South Korea and Ukraine, there is a shared understanding that the issue of North Korean prisoners of war should be resolved in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles." He added, "The government will continue to make efforts to ensure that the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, in accordance with their free will, can proceed based on humanitarian principles and international law."

On March 27, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun met with Foreign Minister Sybiha on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in France. At the time, the two ministers stated that they would continue to cooperate in order to resolve the issue of North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.