Top diplomats of South Korea, Ukraine have ‘constructive’ talks on North Korean POW issue

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun shakes hands with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Seoul on June 30, 2026. (Yonhap)

South Korea and Ukraine’s top diplomats discussed Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction and the repatriation of North Korean soldiers currently detained there during a meeting Tuesday.South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha at the Foreign Ministry headquarters in Seoul that day. The meeting agenda included the potential repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war who were captured by Ukrainian forces after being deployed to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine.Sybiha told reporters after the meeting that he and Cho had discussed the North Korean POW issue in detail and that they are aware of how the issue ought to be dealt with under international humanitarian law.“The two foreign ministers are holding a constructive discussion under the agreement that the North Korean POW issue should be resolved in a manner conforming to international law and humanitarian principles. The government will continue to devote diplomatic resources to making progress on, and eventually resolving, the North Korean POW issue,” said Park Il, a spokesperson for the South Korean Foreign Ministry.The South Korean government’s position is that since the North Korean POWs — who are considered South Korean citizens according to the Constitution — have expressed the intent to defect, it is willing to accept them. It has been pursuing discussions with the Ukrainian government to this end.According to sources, the Ukrainian government agrees that the North Korean POWs should not be repatriated against their will but has not yet decided whether they should go to South Korea, as it also needs to consider how POWs from other countries besides North Korea should be dealt with.The discussions between the two foreign ministers also focused on the response to North Korea and Russia’s increased closeness, security cooperation between South Korea and Ukraine, and the participation of South Korean businesses in Ukraine’s reconstruction.