Ukraine transferred two captured North Korean military personnel to South Korea - Zelensky
Ukraine recently handed over to South Korea two North Korean servicemen captured by Ukrainian forces during combat operations in Russia. President Volodymyr Zelensky announced this during his address to the UN General Assembly in New York.
It concerns two North Korean soldiers captured in the Kursk region in January 2025. They had previously expressed a desire to move to South Korea.
Zelensky noted that it was difficult to take North Korean servicemen alive. According to him, one of the prisoners, realizing that he would be captured, tried to take his own life. The president gave this example when talking about the conditions in which Pyongyang prepares its servicemen for participation in the war.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not directly refute Zelensky's statement, but refused to disclose when and by what route the servicemen could have been transported, citing security concerns for them and their families.
Seoul emphasized that the issue of North Korean prisoners of war must be resolved taking into account their own will, international law norms, and humanitarian principles. South Korea has been holding consultations with Ukraine and other parties regarding their future.
In July, Zelensky and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung agreed during a meeting on the sidelines of the NATO summit to consider the issue of captured North Korean servicemen on humanitarian grounds and taking into account their wishes.
North Korean troops have been fighting on Russia's side since 2024. The two soldiers handed over to Seoul became the first known North Korean servicemen captured alive by Ukrainian forces during combat operations.
