Overview

• South Korea has announced it will grant asylum to North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine who wish to defect, in line with its constitutional recognition of all Koreans as citizens.
• The decision follows reports of two North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces, one of whom has expressed a strong desire to seek refuge in South Korea.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that North Korean POWs could either be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia or allowed to defect if they choose.
• South Korea's foreign ministry emphasized that international law prohibits repatriating individuals to countries where they may face persecution, reinforcing its commitment to protect defectors.
• The deployment of North Korean troops to Russia has drawn criticism from South Korea, with officials condemning the practice as deceptive and inhumane.