On Thursday, Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange a total of 314 war prisoners. However, two North Korean soldiers who had expressed their intention to defect to South Korea were confirmed to be excluded from the exchange.
Jang Se Yul, the representative of the North Korean defector group Korean Unification Solidarity, told News1 on Friday that, after confirming with the Prisoner of War Treatment Coordination Headquarters under the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, which has been cooperating on prisoner repatriation issues, the two North Korean soldiers were excluded from the prisoner negotiations.
The North Korean soldiers, identified only as Mr. Baek and Mr. Lee, are reportedly still detained in a Ukrainian prison alongside Russian POWs.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that North Korean soldiers are considered South Korean citizens under the constitution and that the government would provide necessary protection and support in line with its fundamental principle and relevant laws. It added that it would accept all requests to transfer them to South Korea and would absolutely refuse any forced repatriation to Russia or North Korea against their will.
The ministry also said it had already conveyed its position to the Ukrainian side and would continue necessary consultations.
The two North Korean soldiers were deployed to Russia in 2024 and participated in the Battle of Kursk, one of the fiercest engagements along the Ukraine-Russia border. Ukrainian forces captured them in January of last year.
In March of last year, one of the prisoners first expressed his intention to defect to South Korea. After careful consideration, the other also revealed his desire to defect in October, confirming that both wished to seek asylum in South Korea.
Sources indicate that the South Korean government is conducting informal negotiations with Ukrainian authorities to repatriate soldiers through intelligence agencies and diplomatic channels.
However, with the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the issue of prisoner transfers remains complex and unresolved.