Foreign minister Cho Tae-yul sought Kyiv’s cooperation in the handling of North Korean prisoners of war during a phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart on Monday. 

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry on Monday, Cho and Andrii Sybiha spoke on the phone Monday afternoon to exchange opinions on the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war and on Seoul’s support for Ukraine.

During the talks, Cho stressed that the North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine are South Korean nationals under the nation’s Constitution and that Seoul will accept them if they wish to come to South Korea, calling for Ukraine’s active support.

It is the first time that the two sides have discussed the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war at the minister level. 

Cho also said South Korea will cooperate with the international community for the restoration of peace in Ukraine and its postwar reconstruction, reaffirming that Seoul will continue its efforts to support the Ukrainian people. 

Expressing gratitude for Seoul’s support, Sybiha discussed the recent high-level talks between Ukraine and the United States regarding efforts to end the war with Russia and expressed hope for continued collaboration with South Korea and the international community to promote peace.