South Korea offers refuge to North Korean POWs from Ukraine
South Korea has announced its readiness to accept North Korean prisoners of war from Ukraine. In a phone conversation, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yol assured Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha that protection would be provided for those preferring to come to Seoul.
What do you need to know?
- South Korea is ready to accept North Korean prisoners of war. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yol assured Ukrainian Minister Andriy Sybiha of protection for the prisoners wishing to come to Seoul.
- North Koreans were captured by Ukrainian forces near the city of Kursk. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky relayed information regarding their capture on 11th January.
- Kim Jong Un deployed over 10,000 soldiers to Russia. These soldiers are fighting on the Russian side in exchange for Russian technical support for Pyongyang's arms and satellite programmes.
In a conversation with Andriy Sybiha, Minister Cho Tae-yol emphasised that South Korea is prepared to offer "essential protection and assistance" to North Korean prisoners of war if they choose to come to Seoul. "Seoul will provide protection to North Korean prisoners if they decide to come to South Korea" - declared the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul.
South Korean authorities have assured them they will continue supporting the Ukrainian people and collaborating with the international community to "restore peace" in Ukraine and aid in rebuilding the country.
Korean soldiers involved in the war
Authorities in Seoul report that Kim Jong Un has sent more than 10,000 soldiers to Russia, allegedly as expendable troops, in return for technical support for North Korea’s weapons and satellite programs. South Korean intelligence services confirmed that over a thousand military personnel were deployed to Russia between late January and early February.
Information provided by South Korean lawmaker Ju Yong Won indicates that so far, 400 North Korean soldiers have died on the front, and about 3,600 have been wounded.
- About 3,500 North Korean soldiers are undergoing field adaptation training in five different locations in Russia's Far East - added Ju Yong Won, citing Ukrainian intelligence.
