Ukraine open to talks with South Korea on transfer of POWs from North Korea
Photo: Ukraine is ready to discuss with South Korea the transfer of captured military personnel from the DPRK (Getty Images)
Ukraine is open to discussions with South Korea regarding the potential transfer of two POWs from North Korea, considering the threats they could face upon repatriation, as well as if they refuse to return to their home country, stated Ukraine's Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Dmytro Ponomarenko, in an interview with The Korean Times.
"Given the threat to the life and freedom of North Korean servicemen in the event of their repatriation to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and if they refuse to go back, we are open for a dialogue with international partners, in particular the Republic of Korea, regarding the possibilities of their transfer to third countries," Ponomarenko said.
He expressed hope that in this case, the Ukrainian side would consult with South Korea on the methods for transferring the POWs.
Ukrainian Forces captured North Korean soldiers
On January 11, it became known that Ukrainian defenders had captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region. One of the North Korean soldiers shared information about significant casualties among their forces.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video of an interrogation with one of the captured soldiers, who revealed that after being wounded, he spent nearly a week alone on the battlefield before being rescued by Ukrainian troops.
Zelenskyy also proposed to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that he could take the captured soldiers but with certain conditions.
Recently, a captured North Korean soldier disclosed that the soldiers were transported to Russian territory by ferry and then by train, and were kept in complete information isolation.
