What did South Korea say about the reported transfer of North Korean POWs from Ukraine?

South Korea did not explicitly deny the transfer and effectively confirmed it through its response. The Foreign Ministry said the issue should be handled in line with the prisoners’ free will, international law, and humanitarian principles.

Why did South Korea avoid giving details about the North Korean POW repatriation?

The Foreign Ministry said the matter was sensitive and therefore did not reveal whether specific prisoners had been transferred or provide details about the timing, route, or contents of the talks. It only said consultations had been held with Ukraine and other relevant countries and institutions.

What happened to the two North Korean soldiers before the reported transfer to South Korea?

They were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January last year. Afterward, they told media and North Korean defector groups that they wanted to defect to South Korea.

S. Korean gov't effectively confirms repatriation of N. Korean POWs from Ukraine

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Summary

The South Korean government effectively confirmed the repatriation of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces on Thursday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said they had been sent to South Korea. The Foreign Ministry said Seoul had held consultations with Ukraine and other relevant countries and institutions while maintaining that the issue should respect the prisoners’ free will and international law. The ministry did not deny the transfer or give details on timing, route, or the talks. The two soldiers were captured in Russia’s Kursk region in January last year and later said they wanted to defect to South Korea.

Key Facts

The Foreign Ministry said Seoul had conducted necessary communication and consultations with Ukraine and other relevant countries and institutions.
The ministry declined to say whether the transfer involved individual prisoners or to disclose the timing, route, or specific contents of the bilateral discussions.
The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January last year.
The soldiers later expressed their desire to defect to South Korea in media interviews and handwritten letters delivered to organizations representing North Korean defectors.

By Lee Kyung-min

Published Sep 24, 2026 10:44 am KST
Updated Sep 24, 2026 11:37 am KST

A North Korean sniper and reconnaissance officer, left, and a rifleman, captured by Ukrainian forces, receive medical treatment at an undisclosed location in Kyiv, Ukraine. Screenshots from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's X account

The government effectively confirmed the repatriation of North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces, Thursday, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed that two prisoners of war (POWs) had been sent to South Korea.

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Seoul has consistently maintained that the issue should be resolved in a manner that respects the prisoners' free will and complies with international law and humanitarian principles.

"Based on this position, we have conducted necessary communication and consultations with Ukraine as well as other relevant countries and institutions," a ministry official was quoted by news reports as saying.

The ministry did not issue an explicit denial of Zelenskyy's disclosure, effectively confirming that Seoul has been involved in discussions over their transfer.

The ministry also declined to provide details about whether individual prisoners had been transferred, or about the timing, route or specific contents of bilateral discussions, citing the sensitive nature of the matter.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January last year. They subsequently expressed their desire to defect to South Korea in media interviews and handwritten letters delivered to organizations representing North Korean defectors.

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