North Korean POWs Repatriation Ukraine 2026: Lawmaker Urges Presidential Action
Rep. Yu Yong-weon urges South Korea to send special envoys to Ukraine for the repatriation of two North Korean POWs seeking asylum. Analysis of international law and diplomacy.
Enemies on the battlefield, or future citizens seeking freedom? The fate of two North Korean prisoners of war currently held in Ukraine has sparked a heated diplomatic debate in Seoul.
Urgent Call for Repatriation of North Korean POWs in Ukraine
On January 22, 2026, Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party formally requested President Lee Jae Myung to mobilize all diplomatic resources to bring the captives to South Korea. Rep. Yu, who personally met the soldiers in Kyiv in February 2025, emphasized that the soldiers have expressed a clear desire to defect.
Legal Framework: Non-Refoulement and International Protocols
The lawmaker argued that returning the prisoners to North Korea would violate the Third Geneva Convention and the principle of . Since October 2024, Pyongyang has deployed thousands of troops to support Russian forces. Yu insists that as potential members of the South Korean community, they deserve protection from the persecution they would inevitably face upon return to the North.
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