The South Korean government plans to hold consultations with Ukraine on bringing captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.

This was reported by the local Yonhap news agency.

The statement was made by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-won after the President of Ukraine announced the transfer of two prisoners to Kyiv.

“Since North Korean soldiers are our citizens under the Constitution, (the government) plans to hold talks with Ukraine if they ask to be transferred to South Korea,” the spokesman noted.

South Korea’s Constitution defines the entire Korean peninsula as its territory, effectively recognizing all residents of the peninsula, even North Koreans, as its citizens.

The ministry spokesperson stated that neither of the two captured soldiers had expressed any intention of defecting to the South, adding that the relevant South Korean authorities are currently in contact with Ukraine regarding the two.

The Yonhap news agency details that on December 12, South Korea’s intelligence agency confirmed the capture of two North Korean soldiers by Ukraine.

It pledged to work closely with its Ukrainian counterparts to continue exchanging information.

Interrogation of prisoners

Recently, Militarnyi reported that Ukrainian investigative authorities interrogated a North Korean POW captured during the fighting in the Kursk oblast.

The captured North Korean serviceman said that he was wounded during one of the battles, and his comrades retreated, leaving him behind.

The prisoner of war could not move and was alone for about 3-5 days, after which he was found and evacuated by the Ukrainian military.

The prisoner also said that his military documents did not contain his photo and were issued under a different name.