Seoul: Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that Ukraine has assured him that two North Korean soldiers, captured while fighting alongside Russia, will not be repatriated to Moscow. Cho addressed this issue during a parliamentary session, responding to inquiries regarding the soldiers who have been in Ukrainian custody since their capture during combat in the front-line Kursk region in January of the previous year.

According to Yonhap News Agency, earlier this month, Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party disclosed that Russia had included the two soldiers on its list of prisoners it demanded be released in a prisoner-of-war (POW) exchange. Despite this demand, Cho confirmed, "I have received confirmation from my Ukrainian counterpart that the soldiers will not be repatriated (to Russia)," assuring that neither North Korea nor Russia will have the soldiers back in their custody.

Cho was asked whether the soldiers were on the POW exchange list, but he refrained from giving a direct answer, indicating that Ukraine would not share such details with Seoul. He emphasized that revealing any information about the soldiers could endanger their safety and highlighted that the foreign ministry is making all efforts to ensure their safety and facilitate their relocation to South Korea, in line with the Constitution.

Through media interviews, the soldiers have expressed their desire to come to South Korea instead of being sent back to North Korea. In response, Rep. Yu has advocated for sending a presidential envoy to Ukraine to discuss their defection, emphasizing that their repatriation to Pyongyang remains a possibility that cannot be entirely dismissed.