Conservative lawmaker urges Lee to bring N. Korean POWs in Ukraine to S. Korea

North Korean POWs in Ukraine, each surnamed Ri (left) and Paik (Screen grabs from MBC's "PD Notebook")

Conservative lawmaker Rep. Yu Yong-weon on Thursday called on President Lee Jae Myung to take action to bring two North Korean soldiers held in Ukraine to South Korea.

Without action from Seoul, the captives will have no choice but to be repatriated to North Korea and face severe punishment like torture, execution or imprisonment in a political prison camp, as those held captive by the enemy state are considered traitors to the regime, according to the lawmaker.

Yu said in a statement that Lee should dispatch a delegation of special envoys, including lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, to Ukraine in February to ensure the safety of the captive North Korean soldiers.

A recent interview aired Tuesday by Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. indicated that two North Korean prisoners of war, surnamed Ri and Paik, showed willingness to come to South Korea.

The lawmaker said a practical step like the dispatch of a delegation should be taken to "address the humanitarian crisis and secure national interest" at once, citing South Korea's need to abide by the principle of nonrefoulement under international law.

Rep. Yu Yong-weon (Im Se-jun/The Korea Herald)

Separately, Yu also called on the Lee to take part in the reconstruction initiatives for war-ravaged Ukraine.

Yu visited Ukraine at the invitation of Ukrainian lawmaker Andriy Nikolayenko in February 2025, and met Ri and Paik. Thousands of North Korean troops have been either killed or injured during the Ukraine war while fighting alongside Russia, and Ri and Paik are considered the only North Korean survivors in captivity in Ukraine.