President Lee Jae Myung (right) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shake hands ahead of their summit meeting at a hotel in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday. (Yonhap) ANKARA, Turkey — The leaders of South Korea and Ukraine agreed that North Korean prisoners of war held in Ukraine should be allowed to decide where they will live and in accordance with international law, Cheong Wa Dae said.President Lee Jae Myung and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met for 43 minutes from noon on Wednesday on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, in their first in-person meeting since Lee took office.“The two leaders agreed to resolve the issue of North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine in a way that respects the free will of those concerned and complies with international law and humanitarian principles,” senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a statement.The issue concerns two North Korean prisoners of war whose capture by Ukrainian forces was publicly disclosed in January 2025. It has drawn growing attention in South Korea over whether they will be allowed to resettle in South Korea according to their own wishes. The South Korean government has said the two North Korean POWs have expressed a desire to settle in South Korea.Kang further explained that “the two leaders also exchanged broad views on developments on the Korean Peninsula and in Ukraine and agreed to maintain close communication to further develop bilateral relations.”The meeting came as South Korea and Ukraine face a growing common security challenge stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and North Korea’s subsequent military support for Moscow, including troop deployments and weapons supplies.During the meeting, Lee explained that South Korea had announced a comprehensive $100 million support package for Ukraine on Tuesday on the occasion of the NATO summit.Lee also emphasized that the South Korean government “would continue to provide humanitarian assistance needed by the Ukrainian people and take part in the international community’s efforts for Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction,” according to Kang.In response, Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for South Korea’s support and said he hoped to continue close cooperation with the international community, including Seoul, to bring about an early end to the war and support Ukraine’s peace and recovery, Kang said.Zelenskyy also “expressed hope for continued interest and participation by the Korean government and companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction process,” Kang added.The Ukarainian president was one of a handful of leaders with whom Lee held separate bilateral talks during the summit, alongside the leaders of Norway, the Netherlands and Romania, as support for Ukraine remained a central item on the alliance’s agenda.