The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reaffirmed its willingness to accept all North Korean prisoners of war in Ukraine if they express a desire to come to South Korea. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova 

The government has reaffirmed its willingness to accept all North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) in Ukraine if they express a desire to come to South Korea.

Multiple media outlets in Seoul on Feb. 23 quoted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying, "We will provide the necessary protection and support under the basic principle of accepting all North Korean POWs who wish to come to (South) Korea and relevant laws."

"We have already delivered this stance of our government to Ukraine," it added. "We will keep holding necessary negotiations."

Andriy Chernyak, a spokesman for the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, on Feb. 21 told Yonhap News in an interview in Kyiv, "Everything is possible," adding, "We maintain strong relationships with Korea's National Intelligence Service and special forces, so repatriating North Korean POWs to (South) Korea is possible."

aisylu@korea.kr