Ministry of Unification "Review of North Korean prisoners to South Korea, international law, etc."

The Ministry of Unification said that the possibility of repatriation of North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine to South Korea is a matter that requires legal review such as international law and consultation with related countries.

Unification Ministry spokesman Koo Byung-sam said in a regular briefing today, "There is nothing to be foreseen at this stage."

If the captured North Korean military is recognized as a member of the Russian military, it is interpreted as a cautious position as it should be returned to its home country after being granted prisoner of war status under the Geneva Convention.

Earlier, one of the two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine in the Kursk region of Russia was released during the interrogation, raising the possibility of defecting to South Korea.