Zelenskyy says Ukraine sent two North Korean POWs to South Korea

The president criticised North Korea for using citizens like ‘currency’ to aid Russia in its war against Ukraine.

North Korean POWs: Political pawns in Russia’s war against Ukraine?

Ukraine has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

“Recently, we ⁠sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea,” said Zelenskyy in his speech on Wednesday.

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“These guys are not easy to capture alive,” Zelenskyy said. “One of them, when he realised he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself. And he was shocked that fate did not let him die.”

He strongly criticised Pyongyang’s involvement in the conflict, questioning why North Korean soldiers were giving their lives in a war against Ukraine.

“Kim Jong Un uses them like currency and gets something in return,” Zelenskyy said, adding that “countries across Asia have likely already noticed North Korea’s enhanced ballistic missiles and significantly advanced drone capabilities”.

Ukrainian and South Korean estimates indicate North Korea has deployed approximately 15,000 soldiers to support Russia’s war effort since 2024, primarily in the Kursk border region .

Zelenskyy provided no further details regarding the transfer.

Ukrainian forces captured the two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025, in the first known apprehension of Pyongyang’s troops since their deployment to the conflict in 2024. Zelenskyy had previously stated he would consider returning the soldiers to North Korean leader Kim in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia.

Human rights groups, however, urged him to repatriate them to South Korea, citing the risks of punishments the soldiers faced. South Korean media reported that the two captured soldiers had expressed their desire to defect to South Korea.

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not deny Zelenskyy’s remarks, but it also declined to confirm operational details of the transfer, citing individual safety and family protection.

The issue was a key topic during a July summit in Ankara, Turkiye, where President Lee Jae Myung met Zelenskyy.

Senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated afterwards that both leaders agreed to resolve the status of North Korean POWs in Ukraine in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles, while respecting the free will of those involved. This built on a prior agreement reached during the South Korea-Ukraine foreign ministers’ meeting in March, where both nations pledged to cooperate on the POW issue under the same humanitarian framework.

总统批评朝鲜将国民当作“货币”来援助俄罗斯对乌克兰的战争。

朝鲜战俘：俄罗斯对乌克兰战争中的政治棋子？

乌克兰总统泽连斯基在联合国大会上发表讲话称，乌克兰已将两名朝鲜战俘移交给韩国。

泽连斯基在周三的讲话中说：“最近，我们向大韩民国送去了两名朝鲜战俘。”

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泽连斯基说：“这些人活捉起来并不容易。其中一个人在意识到自己即将被俘后，试图自杀。他很惊讶命运没有让他死。”

他强烈批评平壤卷入这场冲突，质疑朝鲜士兵为何要在与乌克兰的战争中牺牲生命。

泽连斯基说：“金正恩把它们当作货币来使用，并从中获得回报。”他还补充说，“亚洲各国可能已经注意到朝鲜增强的弹道导弹和显著进步的无人机能力”。

乌克兰和韩国的估计表明，自 2024 年以来，朝鲜已部署约 15,000 名士兵支持俄罗斯的战争行动，主要部署在库尔斯克边境地区。

泽连斯基没有提供有关此次转会的更多细节。

2025年1月，乌克兰军队在俄罗斯库尔斯克地区俘虏了两名朝鲜士兵，这是自2024年朝鲜军队部署到冲突地区以来，乌克兰军队首次被俘。泽连斯基此前曾表示，他会考虑将这些士兵归还给朝鲜领导人金正恩，以交换被俄罗斯扣押的乌克兰战俘。

然而，人权组织敦促他将他们遣返回韩国，理由是这些士兵面临惩罚的风险。韩国媒体报道称，这两名被俘士兵已表达了叛逃到韩国的意愿。

韩国外交部没有否认泽连斯基的言论，但以个人安全和家庭保护为由，拒绝证实此次移交的具体细节。

在7月于土耳其安卡拉举行的峰会上，该问题是关键议题，韩国总统李在明与泽连斯基在峰会上会面。

韩国总统府高级发言人康裕贞随后表示，两国领导人同意在尊重相关人员自由意志的前提下，依据国际法和人道主义原则解决朝鲜战俘在乌克兰的处境问题。此前，韩乌两国在3月份的外长会议上达成一致，承诺在同一人道主义框架下就战俘问题开展合作。