The two North Korean prisoners of war had expressed their wish to defect to South Korea
Cheong Wa Dae said Wednesday (local time) that the transfer of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces to South Korea was handled in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles, adding that the government had maintained a consistent position of respecting the individuals' free will throughout the process.
The statement came as President Lee Jae Myung was on a state visit to Mexico for a summit, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned the North Korean prisoners of war in his address to the UN General Assembly. Cheong Wa Dae issued a notice to reporters in response.
"We have maintained necessary communication and consultations with Ukraine and other relevant countries and organizations," Cheong Wa Dae said, and went on to say: "As this matter is sensitive and relates to the personal safety of the individuals and their families, we ask for your understanding that we are unable to confirm details regarding the handling, timing or route of individual personnel, or the specifics of bilateral consultations."
In his UN General Assembly address, Zelensky said Ukraine had recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.
Zelensky said the soldiers were not easy to capture, adding that one of them had tried to take his own life when he realized he was about to be taken prisoner and was shocked that fate would not let him die.
"This is how people are raised in North Korea," Zelensky said, criticizing the country for stripping its people of their freedom and right to choose.
The two North Korean soldiers were reportedly captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January last year. Their existence became known after Zelensky publicly disclosed the capture on social media.
The two had expressed their wish to defect to South Korea through handwritten letters delivered to North Korean defector organizations, among other means.
The South Korean government has said it will accept the prisoners, noting that North Korean soldiers are constitutionally South Korean citizens and had expressed their desire to defect through media interviews and defector organizations.
Meanwhile, Lee had visited New York for the UN General Assembly before traveling to Mexico for a state visit — the first in 16 years.
Air Force One carrying Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung landed at Felipe Ángeles International Airport on Wednesday evening.
After a day of rest, Lee is scheduled to hold a summit with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo on Thursday.
sang@heraldcorp.com
