(3rd LD) Ukraine recently sent 2 N. Korean POWs to S. Korea: Zelenskyy

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SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- Ukraine has recently sent two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, with Seoul effectively confirming the move.

South Korean officials did not deny Zelenskyy's remarks, while noting that Seoul has conducted consultations with Kyiv over the issue.

"Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," Zelenskyy said during his address at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday (U.S. time), referring to South Korea by its official name.

"These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself and he was shocked that fate didn't let him die."

Later in the day, the Ukrainian presidential office said the transfer of the two North Korean prisoners to South Korea was carried out through direct dialogue with Seoul.

"It was a highly sensitive matter and involved direct dialogue with the Republic of Korea," the office told Yonhap News Agency.

"They are members of the same Korean nation," it said, adding that "the Republic of Korea considers them its citizens."

The presidential office also rejected claims that Russia had repeatedly requested that the two prisoners be handed over, saying such claims were "not true."

This file photo, provided by a civic group on Oct. 31, 2025, shows two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces with their faces blurred at a detention center in Ukraine. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 after being deployed to Russia's Kursk region among thousands of North Korean troops in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine.

The two have expressed their desire to come to South Korea through a North Korean defector group in the South as well as through interviews.

South Korea's foreign ministry said it could not confirm details but noted that it has held talks with Ukraine and other countries and agencies based on its position to respect the "free will" of the two soldiers and resolve the issue in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.

"It is difficult to confirm whether the individuals have been handled, the timing and route, or the specific details about the consultations between the two countries," a foreign ministry official said, noting the issue concerns the safety of the two soldiers and their family.

An official at the presidential office reiterated the foreign ministry official's remarks in a press notice.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Zelenskyy agreed to handle North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine on humanitarian grounds while respecting their wishes during their summit in July on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara.

Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party claimed the two soldiers safely entered South Korea three to four days earlier via a third country and that Seoul and Kyiv agreed on the transfer in around June.

If they have entered the country, they are expected to be under the protection of the National Intelligence Service in line with the law on North Korean defectors.

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr (END)

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(3rd LD) Ukraine recently sent 2 N. Korean POWs to S. Korea: Zelenskyy

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（注意：第 5-8 段补充更多细节）

首尔，9月24日（韩联社）——乌克兰总统泽连斯基表示，乌克兰近日已将两名被乌克兰军队俘虏的朝鲜士兵送往韩国，首尔方面实际上证实了这一举动。

韩国官员没有否认泽连斯基的言论，但同时指出首尔已就此问题与基辅进行了磋商。

“最近，我们向大韩民国送去了两名朝鲜战俘，”泽连斯基周三（美国时间）在联合国大会上发表讲话时说道，他指的是韩国的正式名称。

“这些人活捉起来并不容易。其中一个人在意识到自己要被俘虏后试图自杀，但他很惊讶命运没有让他死。”

当天晚些时候，乌克兰总统办公室表示，两名朝鲜囚犯被移送至韩国是通过与首尔的直接对话进行的。

该办公室告诉韩联社：“这是一个高度敏感的问题，涉及与大韩民国的直接对话。”

声明称，“他们同属一个韩国民族”，并补充说，“大韩民国视他们为公民”。

总统办公室还驳斥了有关俄罗斯多次要求移交这两名囚犯的说法，称这种说法“不属实”。

这张由民间团体于2025年10月31日提供的资料照片显示，两名被乌克兰军队俘虏的朝鲜士兵在乌克兰一处拘留中心，照片中他们的面部已被模糊处理。（照片不得出售）（韩联社）

2025 年 1 月，两名朝鲜士兵被乌克兰军队俘虏。此前，他们与数千名朝鲜士兵一起被部署到俄罗斯库尔斯克地区，以支持莫斯科对乌克兰的战争。

两人通过在韩国的一个朝鲜脱北者团体以及接受采访的方式表达了他们想来韩国的愿望。

韩国外交部表示，无法确认具体细节，但指出已与乌克兰和其他国家及机构举行会谈，其立场是尊重两名士兵的“自由意志”，并根据国际法和人道主义原则解决问题。

一位外交部官员表示：“很难确认相关人员是否已得到处理，处理的时间和路线，以及两国磋商的具体细节。”他指出，此事涉及两名士兵及其家人的安全。

总统府一名官员在新闻稿中重申了外交部官员的言论。

韩国总统李在明和泽连斯基在7月于安卡拉举行的北大西洋公约组织峰会期间举行的峰会上同意，在尊重朝鲜人民意愿的前提下，出于人道主义考虑处理被乌克兰俘虏的朝鲜士兵。

主要反对党国民力量党议员俞永元声称，这两名士兵在三四天前经由第三国安全进入韩国，首尔和基辅在六月份左右就移交事宜达成一致。

如果他们已经进入该国，根据朝鲜脱北者相关法律，他们预计将受到国家情报院的保护。

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr (完)

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乌克兰最近向韩国送去了两名朝鲜战俘：泽连斯基

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