South Korea is ready to accept North Korean soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces during the war for Russia

South Korea is ready to take back all North Korean soldiers who fought on the side of Russia against Ukraine and were captured by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. But only if the prisoners wish it.

This is reported by the South Korean media outlet The Chosun Daily.

One diplomatic source told The Chosun Daily that practical and legal procedures for the North Korean military to move to South Korea are likely in the final stages.

At the same time, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha will soon visit the country and hold talks with Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun on June 30.

This means that the meeting of foreign ministers on June 30 could be the moment when the parties finally agree and formalize the transfer of the troops. If that happens, the troops will arrive in South Korea about 17 months after their capture.

Cho Hyeon has already stated that Sybiha promised that the prisoners would not be returned to either North Korea or Russia if they did not want to. At least two North Korean soldiers in captivity Rim and Baek have already expressed their desire to move to South Korea.

North Koreaʼs participation in the war against Ukraine

The first military personnel from the DPRK arrived at the front to fight on the side of the Russian Federation back in October 2024, then it was about 12 thousand people. And in March 2025, North Korea sent another 3 thousand soldiers.

At first, both sides denied this, but on April 26, 2025, Russia officially acknowledged the participation of military personnel from the DPRK for the first time. Two days later, the DPRK also confirmed this, including that its military was fighting against Ukraine in the Kursk direction.

In January 2025, the Defense Forces captured the first two North Korean soldiers. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine was ready to hand them over to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

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