South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that Ukraine has assured Seoul that two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces will not be sent back to Russia, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to Yonhap. The minister did not directly confirm whether the soldiers were included in any exchange lists, citing that Ukraine does not disclose such details and that releasing information could endanger the soldiers’ safety. Cho emphasized that the Ukrainian authorities have explicitly confirmed that the prisoners will not be repatriated to either North Korea or Russia, alleviating concerns about their potential transfer.
Earlier, South Korean opposition lawmaker Yoo Yeon-won visited Ukraine and claimed that Russia had listed the two North Korean soldiers among those proposed for a swap. The foreign minister refrained from confirming these claims directly but reiterated Seoul’s commitment to ensuring the safety of the prisoners. He also noted that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively coordinating to facilitate the transfer of the North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
The two soldiers, identified as Ri and Baek, were captured on January 11, 2025, in Russia’s Kursk region by Ukrainian forces. Both had sustained injuries but survived and were transported to Kyiv, where Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) investigators interviewed them. Communication with the prisoners is conducted through Korean language interpreters in coordination with South Korean intelligence, as they do not speak Ukrainian, Russian, or English.
According to statements by Ri and Baek, they were sent for training rather than direct combat against Ukrainian forces. Ri, aged 26 at the time of capture, hails from Pyongyang and is an only child, having served ten years in the North Korean military before deployment. Baek, 21, had served four years in the North Korean army prior to the conflict. Both reported being misled into believing that their operations in Kursk would involve combat against South Korean forces, not Ukrainian troops.
Following their capture, Ukraine indicated willingness to return the soldiers to North Korea if Pyongyang would assist in organizing an exchange for Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia. Subsequent discussions were initiated between Ukraine and South Korea regarding the repatriation of the North Korean soldiers, who themselves have expressed the desire to relocate to South Korea.
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