Anchor: A South Korean daily has interviewed a North Korean soldier captured by Ukrainian forces in the war against Russia, who reportedly wants to defect to the South. An official in South Korea said Seoul has notified Kyiv of its intent to take in any North Korean captives wishing to defect.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The South Korean government has notified Ukraine that it is willing to take in North Korean soldiers captured by the Ukrainian military as prisoners of war(POWs) while fighting in support of Russia, if those POWs wish to be moved to the South.

An official from Seoul’s foreign ministry said Wednesday that this policy is in line with the South Korean Constitution, which stipulates that North Koreans are South Korean nationals, and urged respect for individual free will in accordance with international law when making decisions about whether to repatriate POWs. 

The official said Seoul will continue its consultations with Kyiv and provide whatever protection and support are necessary.

In an interview with the South Korean daily Chosun Ilbo on Wednesday, a North Korean soldier captured by the Ukrainian military, identified by his surname Ri, said he wished to seek asylum and be transferred to the South.

This is the first time a North Korean POW in the Russia-Ukraine war has publicly expressed a wish to defect to the South.

A soldier with the North’s reconnaissance bureau, Ri was captured by Ukraine last month and claimed he was tricked into thinking he was going overseas for training.

He said he only learned of the combat deployment after arriving in Russia’s Kursk region in mid-December.

Ri said he also believed he would be fighting against South Korean drone pilots.

Claiming POWs are considered traitors to the North Korean military, Ri said “of course” when asked if he would face hardships if he returned home.

Seoul’s acceptance of Ri, if it were to happen, might not be a smooth process as the 1949 Geneva Convention stipulates that POWs shall be released and repatriated to their home countries without delay after the cessation of active hostilities.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.