The top diplomats of Korea and Ukraine discussed the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war captured in Ukraine.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 30th, Minister Cho Hyun held talks that day at the ministry building with Andriy Sybiha, Ukraine's foreign minister.
The meeting addressed the issue of repatriating two North Korean POWs who were deployed to the battlefield in Russia's interest in the Kursk region and were captured by Ukrainian forces.
Spokesperson Park Il said at a briefing that day that, regarding the issue of North Korean POWs, the two countries' top diplomats are holding constructive discussions under a consensus that the matter should be resolved in a way that accords with international law and humanitarian principles.
He added that the government will continue to make diplomatic efforts for progress and resolution on the North Korean POW issue.
The government's position is to accept the North Korean POWs, who are constitutionally Korean nationals, as they have expressed an intent to defect.
At a Korea-Ukraine foreign ministers' meeting in March, the two countries agreed to cooperate to resolve the North Korean POW issue in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles.
The Ukrainian government says it will not forcibly repatriate the North Korean POWs to North Korea against their will. However, as it must also consider how to handle POWs from countries other than North Korea, it has not yet reached a decision on repatriation.
Spokesperson Park said the government has supported Ukraine in a range of areas, including energy, infrastructure, health, medical care, and education, and has actively joined the international community's efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, adding that it will continue these support efforts.
During his visit to Korea, Minister Sybiha visited the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and sent a message that Korea and Ukraine should cooperate against threats from Russia and North Korea.
On X (formerly Twitter) that day, Minister Sybiha said, "Standing at Korea's DMZ makes it very clear that global security is directly at stake," adding, "Due to the dangerous actions of Pyongyang and Moscow, this historic line is now physically connected to our front line in Ukraine."
Minister Sybiha said, "Russia is involving North Korea in its war against Ukraine and empowering the regime in Pyongyang to export instability to the Korean Peninsula," adding, "By contrast, Ukraine is ready to export security and share its national experience. We propose a mutually beneficial security partnership to our Korean partners."