North Korean POWs not included in latest 1,000-for-1,000 exchanges - South Korea

North Korean soldiers held captive in Ukraine were not included in the recent prisoner exchange between Ukraine and russia, South Korean lawmaker Yoo Yong-won said, Yonhap reported.

According to the South Korean lawmaker, citing a Ukrainian source, two North Korean prisoners of war were not included in the list of servicemen exchanged between Ukraine and russia from Friday to Sunday.

Citing another source, Yoo said they were not included in the latest exchange at Seoul's request to Kyiv, as South Korea is ready to accept them if they want to defect to the South. In particular, one of them, Ri, has expressed his intention to come to South Korea.

The publication noted that South Korean lawmaker Yoo met with prisoners of war named Ri and Baek during his visit to Ukraine in February. In an audio recording released by the lawmaker, Ri expressed concern that his parents could be executed if he returned to North Korea in a prisoner exchange.

"(Ri) expects a tragic end for himself and his parents if he is repatriated to North Korea," Yoo said, urging the South Korean government to make efforts to allow them to come to the South.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, according to South Korea, out of a total of 15,000 North Korean soldiers, about 600 were killed fighting on the side of russia against Ukraine.

Earlier, russia publicly acknowledged for the first time the participation of North Korean troops in the war against Ukraine. They are fighting against the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the Kursk Oblast.

North Korea also confirmed the participation of DPRK troops in hostilities against Ukraine in the Kursk Oblast of russia.

After North Korea acknowledged the provision of its troops to the aggressor state of russia, the US Department of State emphasized that third countries, including the DPRK, contributed to the "continuation" of the russian-Ukrainian war and "bear responsibility for this."