Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha attends a press conference in Kristianstad, Sweden, May 20. Reuters-Yonhap
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha plans to visit South Korea next week and will meet with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to discuss bilateral ties and the issue of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs), officials said Monday.
Cho will have talks with Sybiha in Seoul on June 30 and the assessments of the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia, as well as the issue of North Korean POWs in Ukraine are likely to be on the agenda, according to officials of Seoul's foreign ministry.
Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in early 2025 after being deployed to Russia's Kursk in support of Moscow. They have expressed their intention to defect to South Korea.
The Seoul government has maintained that North Korean soldiers are constitutionally regarded as South Korean nationals and that it would accept any POWs wishing to come to South Korea, while providing necessary protection and support in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
