▲ South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, shake hands during their talks in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (R) and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskyy (L), hold a summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026. (Yonhap)

(2nd LD) S Korea-Ukraine-summit

(2nd LD) Lee, Zelenskyy agree to handle N. Korean POWs in Ukraine on humanitarian grounds

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more info, photo)

By Park Boram

ANKARA, July 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed Wednesday to handle North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine on humanitarian grounds while respecting their wishes, a South Korean official said.

The leaders reached the agreement during their summit held on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit in Ankara, according to Lee's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in early 2025 after being deployed to Russia's Kursk region in support of Moscow, and they have reportedly expressed their desire to come to South Korea.

"The two leaders agreed that the issue of North Korean prisoners (of war) in Ukraine will be addressed in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles while respecting their wishes," Kang said.

The principle of non-refoulement under international law prohibits countries from returning or expelling a person to a country where they would face a risk of persecution or serious human rights abuses, the presidential spokesperson explained.

The bilateral summit came as Lee was attending this year's NATO summit as the leader of one of NATO's partner countries, while Zelenskyy joined the event to call for Ukraine's membership in NATO with the war with Russia entering its fifth year.

South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said the previous day that Seoul pledged to provide US$100 million won in assistance to Ukraine on the occasion of Lee's attendance at the NATO summit as a demonstration of its commitment to international peace and security.

During Wednesday's summit, Lee explained the assistance plan to Zelenskyy, who expressed gratitude and voiced his hope to bring the war to an end at an early date and restore peace in Ukraine through close cooperation with the international community, including South Korea.

Zelenskyy also voiced expectations for continued attention by the South Korean government and companies to Ukraine's postwar reconstruction, Kang said.

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