Ankara: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reached an agreement on Wednesday to handle the situation of North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine on humanitarian grounds, while respecting their individual wishes, a South Korean official announced.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the agreement was made during a bilateral summit held on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara. Lee's spokesperson, Kang Yu-jung, confirmed that the two leaders discussed the fate of two North Korean soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces in early 2025. These soldiers had been deployed to Russia's Kursk region to support Moscow and have expressed their desire to relocate to South Korea.

Both leaders concurred that the issue of the North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine would be addressed in alignment with international law and humanitarian principles, specifically respecting the soldiers' personal wishes. Kang highlighted the principle of non-refoulement, which under international law, prohibits the return or expulsion of individuals to a country where they may face persecution or serious human rights violations.

The summit between Lee and Zelenskyy was part of Lee's participation in the NATO summit as the leader of a NATO partner country, while Zelenskyy attended to advocate for Ukraine's membership in NATO amidst the ongoing war with Russia, now in its fifth year.

South Korea's National Security Adviser, Wi Sung-lac, had previously announced that Seoul would provide US$100 million in assistance to Ukraine, coinciding with Lee's attendance at the NATO summit. This pledge was made as a demonstration of South Korea's commitment to international peace and security.

During the summit, President Lee elaborated on the assistance plan to President Zelenskyy, who expressed his gratitude and emphasized his hope to bring the war to an early conclusion and restore peace in Ukraine. Zelenskyy also expressed expectations for continued involvement from the South Korean government and businesses in Ukraine's postwar reconstruction, as conveyed by Kang.