Media: Seoul opens door to North Korean POWs held in Ukraine

South Korea will accept all North Korean prisoners of war who fought for Russia in Ukraine and are now in Ukrainian custody, provided they voluntarily choose to relocate, the foreign ministry has said.

The ministry said that Seoul opposes any repatriation of the prisoners of war to either Russia or North Korea against their will, according to Reuters.

The statement comes amid ongoing discussions over the status of North Korean fighters captured in Ukraine after reportedly being deployed alongside Russian forces.

South Korean and Ukrainian ministers are due to hold talks in Seoul on June 30, according to the ministry. 

A BBC investigation has estimated that around 2,300 North Korean soldiers have died while fighting alongside Russian forces against Ukraine, based on satellite imagery and official photographs of a newly built memorial in Pyongyang.

South Korean intelligence assesses that roughly 11,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Russia, reportedly to support Moscow’s efforts to regain territory in the western Kursk region after Ukraine’s cross-border incursion in August 2024.

The North Korean government has not publicly disclosed casualty figures. However, a new memorial under construction in Pyongyang’s Hwasong district—ordered by Kim Jong Un in October 2025—appears to provide rare insight into the scale of losses.

Analysis of satellite images suggests rapid development of the site, which is intended to honour soldiers killed in the conflict.

In exchange for troop support, Pyongyang is believed to have received food, financial assistance, and technical cooperation from Moscow.