Ukraine, South Korea Discuss Repatriation of Captured North Korean Soldiers

South Korea and Ukraine have held discussions regarding the repatriation of North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces.

The talks were reported by South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul spoke by phone with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andriy Sybiha, to address the issue.

Cho stated that Seoul is ready to accept two North Korean POWs if they wish to go to South Korea.

Reports of consultations between Ukraine and South Korea on this matter first emerged in January 2025.

Under South Korea’s constitution, the entire Korean Peninsula is recognized as its territory, effectively considering all North Korean residents as South Korean citizens.

So far, none of the captured soldiers have requested to be transferred to South Korea.

Interview with prisoners

On February 19, the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo published interviews with the captured North Korean soldiers.

The newspaper identified the prisoners as Ri, a 26-year-old sniper-reconnaissance officer, and Baek, a 21-year-old rifleman.

Both stated that they serve in the Reconnaissance General Bureau (정찰총국) under the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army—not in the 11th “Storm” Corps of the North Korea’s special operations forces, as previously speculated.

The Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) is North Korea’s military intelligence agency. Their exact unit affiliation remains uncertain, but the RGB includes units 180, 91, and 525.

At the same time, it is possible that, as a result of military reforms, some RGB intelligence units were transferred to special operations forces (SOF) or placed under SOF command during the fighting in the Kursk oblast.