Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
UN rapporteur urges protection for N. Korean POWs in Ukraine, but leaves decision with Kyiv
Elizabeth Salmon, the U.N. special rapporteur on North Korea's human rights, speaks during a press conference in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap
By Lee Hyo-jin
Seoul says willing to accept POWs, while awaiting response from Ukraine
Two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine while fighting for Russia could, under international law, be transferred to a third country or granted asylum in Kyiv, Elizabeth Salmon, the United Nations’ special rapporteur on North Korea’s human rights, said on Friday.
But she added that the decision is ultimately up to Kyiv, and that she would respect whatever course Ukraine chooses.
"There are reasonable grounds to believe that in the DPRK, cases of torture and ill-treatment have been very well documented over the years. So I think that Ukraine has some legal obligations concerning the principle of non-refoulement. It means that one state should not repatriate people to a place where there are reasonable grounds to believe they would face torture or ill-treatment," Salmon said during a press conference in Seoul when asked about the North Korean soldiers held in Ukraine.
DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.
"So, I think that it is up to Ukraine to respect international law and to make the best decision," she added, noting the possibility of sending the two prisoners of war to a third state or eventually granting them asylum in Ukraine.
"But I want to stress that it is up to Ukraine to make this decision."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is in consultations with Ukraine regarding the potential transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.
"North Korean prisoners of war are constitutionally recognized as South Korean nationals, and the government will accept them should they seek to come to South Korea," a ministry official said Friday.
"The government has consistently maintained this position since the early stages of the situation and has conveyed it to the Ukrainian side," the official added.
The two prisoners of war (POWs) were among the North Korean troops deployed to support Russia's war against Ukraine. They were captured by Ukrainian forces in January last year.
In media interviews and letters to human rights groups, the men have expressed a desire to go to South Korea, citing concerns about possible reprisals if they are sent back to their homeland.
People walk down a street in Pyongyang, North Korea, Jan. 20. AFP-Yonhap
Speaking about the Lee Jae Myung administration's policies toward Pyongyang, Salmon said she respects its continued efforts to address human rights issues in the reclusive regime.
Salmon was making her first visit to South Korea under the Lee administration, which took office in June 2025. She met with Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jina on Monday and Unification Vice Minister Kim Nam-jung on Thursday.
"In their peaceful coexistence initiative, they speak about human rights, and in my meetings with the authorities, they reassured their intention to work with the international community and civil society in addressing difficult human rights topics," Salmon said, referring to the Lee government’s "peaceful coexistence framework" aimed at engagement with Pyongyang.
She described South Korea's decision last November to co-sponsor a U.N. General Assembly Third Committee resolution condemning North Korea's human rights violations as a "positive sign."
Her remarks come as the Lee administration’s push for rapprochement with Pyongyang has drawn criticism from some civic groups, who argue that North Korean human rights issues have slipped down the government’s list of priorities. Critics suggest that, in an effort to avoid provoking Pyongyang, the government has become less vocal about the rights violations happening under the Kim Jong-un regime.