Ankara: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have reached an agreement to manage North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine on humanitarian grounds while respecting their wishes, a South Korean official reported. This development occurred during their meeting at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the agreement was reached on the sidelines of the NATO summit held in Ankara. The spokesperson for President Lee, Kang Yu-jung, stated that the leaders decided to address the situation of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) in Ukraine based on international law and humanitarian principles. The two captured North Korean soldiers, who were deployed to Russia's Kursk region in support of Moscow, have expressed a desire to relocate to South Korea.

The bilateral summit between Lee and Zelenskyy took place as President Lee attended the NATO summit as a leader of one of the organization's partner countries. President Zelenskyy was also present at the event, advocating for Ukraine's membership in NATO amid the ongoing war with Russia, which has now entered its fifth year.

South Korea's commitment to international peace and security was further underscored by National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, who announced Seoul's pledge of US$100 million in assistance to Ukraine. This pledge was made in conjunction with President Lee's participation in the NATO summit.