Park Il, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivers a briefing from the ministry’s headquarters in Seoul on May 12, 2026. (Yonhap)
Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is scheduling a visit to Korea. While the exact timing has not been determined, Sybiha’s visit would likely happen in June.If the two countries’ top diplomats do meet, they may discuss the question of repatriating North Korean prisoners of war currently held by Ukraine.“We’re in discussions with Ukraine about the Ukrainian foreign minister visiting Korea,” Park Il, a spokesperson for Korea’s Foreign Ministry, said in a press briefing on Tuesday.“If that visit takes place, we’ll discuss all aspects of our bilateral relationship, which would naturally include the issue of the North Korean POWs,” he said. “The government will continue working to arrange the North Korean POWs’ travel to South Korea, should they freely chose to, in accordance with humanitarian principles and international law,” Park said.“In several rounds of high-level deliberations, Korea and Ukraine have confirmed their shared view that the North Korean POW issue should be resolved in compliance with international law and humanitarian principles,” the spokesperson explained.Two North Korean POWs who were captured by the Ukrainian military while fighting in the Kursk region of Russia in October 2024 have expressed their desire to defect to South Korea through several channels, including handwritten letters sent to South Korean civic groups.Seoul has noted that the two POWs, under the Constitution, are citizens of the Republic of Korea. The government has also stated that, if they wish to come to Korea, they will be welcomed and provided with the necessary protection and support under relevant legislation.Sybiha and Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun previously discussed the POW issue during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a gathering of Group of Seven foreign ministers in France in March, agreeing to work together to resolve the issue in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles.If Sybiha visits Korea, the two sides are likely to discuss not only the POW issue but also the future of negotiations to end Ukraine’s war with Russia, North Korea and Russia’s improved relationship, the status of North Korean troops deployed to Russia, and plans for the reconstruction of Ukraine.By Park Min-hee, senior staff writerPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
