Seoul: South Korea is ready to accept all North Korean prisoners of war held by the Ukrainian military, according to a statement from the South Korean Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. The initiative is extended to those North Korean POWs who fought for Russia and choose to relocate to South Korea.

According to Thai News Agency, the South Korean government firmly opposes the repatriation of these prisoners to Russia or North Korea against their wishes. A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry highlighted that the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andriy Tsibikha, is set to engage in bilateral talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.

Last year, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian forces had captured two North Korean soldiers during combat in Russia's Kursk region, marking the first confirmation of North Korean military involvement in the conflict.