Ukraine and South Korea discuss fate of North Korean prisoners of war

During a telephone conversation on Monday, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul asked Kyiv for cooperation in the treatment of North Korean prisoners of war.

According to Cho Tae-yul, South Korea is ready to accept all North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine if they want to come to South Korea.

According to Ukraine, the United States, and South Korea, North Korea has deployed thousands of its troops to support Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, the first major involvement of Pyongyang in the war since the 1950s.

Minister Cho Tae-yul reaffirmed Seoul's efforts to support the Ukrainian people, emphasizing that South Korea is ready to assist if North Korean prisoners of war express a desire to move to his country.

Kyiv reported that as of the beginning of January 2025, more than 3,000 North Korean soldiers had been killed or wounded in combat in Ukraine.

In addition, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that Pyongyang may be ready to send additional troops to Russia, despite numerous losses and the capture of soldiers.

Participation of North Korean military in war against Ukraine

Last year, the North Korean authorities sent their military to Russia's war against Ukraine. At the moment, they are currently disciplined to take part in the fighting in the Kursk region.

The head of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said that North Korean troops are gaining valuable combat experience and improving their weapons systems by fighting in the Kursk region and cooperating with Russia.

Budanov also said that Russia has modernized North Korea's KN-23 missiles and made them more accurate during strikes.

As of early February, North Korean troops had lost about 4,000 soldiers in the fighting in Kursk.