Diplomatic — 2026-07-02

Seoul and Kyiv Agree to Transfer North Korean POWs Captured in Kursk Under International Law

BLUFDespite Seoul and Kyiv's public alignment on repatriation, physical transfer of either North Korean POW to South Korean custody by the end of 2026 remains unlikely, gated by legal process and competing exchange pressures.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha met in Seoul on Tuesday and agreed the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war held by Ukraine should proceed in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles 123, marking the first visit by a Ukrainian foreign minister to South Korea since 2015 13. A foreign ministry spokesperson said the two POWs' wish to come to South Korea remains unchanged and that any transfer would follow domestic legal procedures if formally decided 1. The two soldiers were captured wounded in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025 and later expressed intent to defect to the South 13. Seoul, which under its constitution treats North Korean nationals as citizens, said it is coordinating with Kyiv on humanitarian supplies for the detainees while officials cautioned repatriation is unlikely soon 1.

Analysis
Physical transfer of either POW to South Korean custody by year-end 2026 is unlikely: Seoul describes repatriation as a multi-year process gated by domestic legal procedure, while Russia is simultaneously pressing Kyiv to fold the two men into a prisoner exchange that would route them back toward Pyongyang rather than Seoul. Ukraine retains physical custody and gains leverage by delaying, reducing its incentive to move quickly on a transfer that would complicate exchange diplomacy with Moscow; confidence is high given the convergence between Seoul's cautious language and the absence of any announced timeline or legal mechanism, though sourcing traces largely to a single foreign ministry briefing. The talks may read primarily as a bilateral marker, the first Ukrainian ministerial visit to Seoul in eleven years, rather than evidence of imminent resolution. A confirmed transfer would force Seoul to activate resettlement and vetting protocols for the first DPRK combatant POWs granted asylum from this war; continued stalemate keeps Kyiv holding both men as bargaining chips against Moscow.

4 sources

S. Korean, Ukraine FMs agree to resolve North Korean POW issue under international law - The Korea Times
Top diplomats of S. Korea, Ukraine discuss N. Korean POWs, bilateral cooperation - The Korea Herald
S. Korean, Ukrainian FMs hold talks on bilateral ties, N. Korean POWs - UPI
Seoul, Kyiv move closer to transferring North Korean POWs to South Korea - NK News