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How North Korean POWs caught Seoul in a Ukraine arms ‘conundrum’
Key Points
How North Korean POWs caught Seoul in a Ukraine arms ‘conundrum’ Ukraine wants weapons in exchange for the soldiers, but analysts say South Korea fears provoking Russia and Pyongyang The soldiers, captured in early 2025 after being deployed to Kursk to support Russia’s war effort, are considered South Korean nationals under Seoul’s constitution, which defines the entire Korean peninsula as the country’s territory. Seoul has said it would be willing to accept the soldiers if they chose to defect.
How North Korean POWs caught Seoul in a Ukraine arms ‘conundrum’
Ukraine wants weapons in exchange for the soldiers, but analysts say South Korea fears provoking Russia and Pyongyang
The soldiers, captured in early 2025 after being deployed to Kursk to support Russia’s war effort, are considered South Korean nationals under Seoul’s constitution, which defines the entire Korean peninsula as the country’s territory.
Seoul has said it would be willing to accept the soldiers if they chose to defect.
Kyiv’s campaign for South Korean arms has gained urgency as it struggles to secure enough affordable weapons from Western partners, while Seoul remains wary of sending lethal aid to an active war zone.
The European Union is also pressing Seoul to allow arms shipments to Ukraine, with a possible contract to build submarines for Canada seen by observers as a potential incentive.
[Image text:] Republic ot Korea