Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul, Feb. 26. Yonhap
South Korea's top diplomat said Wednesday that confirming the captured North Korean soldiers' intentions is the key factor before allowing them to defect to the South, reaffirming Seoul's willingness to bring them here.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul made the remarks after a North Korean soldier held by Ukraine said in an interview with a South Korean daily last week that he wants to go to South Korea and that he was about "80 percent sure" of it.
He was one of the two wounded North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces last month during combat in Russia's western Kursk border region. North Korea has sent around 11,000 troops in support of Moscow's war against Kyiv.
"If their intention to defect is clear, we must, of course, accept them as South Korean nationals and take necessary steps in accordance with the constitutional provisions," Cho said during a parliamentary session in response to a question by Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon of the ruling People Power Party.
"However, their personal intentions appear to be the most important factor," Cho said.
Cho said the government has been working to confirm their intentions through "various contacts," without disclosing details.
"Since their decisions are not yet 100 percent certain, we believe it will gradually become clearer," he said.
Following the media report, the foreign ministry said the government is willing to provide protection and support if the North Korean soldiers express a desire to come to the South, in line with the principles and relevant laws regarding all North Korean individuals as its own.
On relations with the United States under the second Donald Trump administration, Cho reiterated the pledge to work with Washington in areas that strategically matter to both countries, including shipbuilding and artificial intelligence, to explore the potential for further economic cooperation.
Cho also revealed plans to visit Poland in early March for diplomatic talks on defense exports and other issues. (Yonhap)