The government intends to consult with Ukraine if two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian authorities while fighting in support of Russia's military offensive in the region express a wish to defect to South Korea.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Seoul's foreign ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong said this is because the North Korean soldiers are viewed as South Korean nationals under the country's Constitution.

The spokesperson said, however, that the two soldiers have yet to express a wish to defect, according to related authorities.

While disclosing that authorities in Seoul are thought to be communicating with the Ukrainian government about the North Korean captives, Lee said no further detail can be revealed.

Earlier, South Korea's National Intelligence Service(NIS) said it had verified the captivity of two North Korean soldiers last Thursday by the Ukrainian military on the battlefield in Russia's Kursk region.