Ukraine Transfers North Korean POWs to South Korea

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Wednesday that Ukraine has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January of the previous year.

"Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," Zelensky stated during his address to the United Nations General Assembly. He added that one of the captured soldiers attempted suicide upon realizing he was being taken prisoner, expressing shock that he survived.

These individuals represent the first North Korean soldiers apprehended alive since North Korea began sending troops to fight alongside Russia in the ongoing conflict. Zelensky had previously indicated a willingness to exchange them for Ukrainians held captive by Russia, a move that prompted calls from human rights groups to repatriate them to South Korea due to concerns about potential punishment.

Reports from South Korean media suggest the two captured soldiers had expressed a desire to defect to South Korea. According to Yonhap News Agency, an opposition lawmaker stated that the soldiers departed Ukraine last weekend, transited through a third country, and arrived in South Korea three to four days prior. The lawmaker noted that while their exact location is unknown, South Korean intelligence agencies are believed to be protecting them.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry has declined to confirm the matter, citing the need to protect the safety of the soldiers and their families. The Unification Ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In June, South Korea declared its intention to accept all North Korean prisoners of war fighting for Russia and opposed their repatriation to either Russia or North Korea.

Zelensky also used his UN address to criticize North Korea's involvement in the war, stating, "This is madness too. Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? Kim Jong Un uses them like currency. And he gets something in return." Estimates from Ukrainian and South Korean officials suggest that North Korea has sent between 14,000 and 15,000 troops to support Russia's war efforts, primarily deployed in the Russian region of Kursk. Additionally, North Korea has reportedly supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, and rocket systems.