Ukraine sent 2 captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, Zelenskyy says

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Wednesday that Ukraine has transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, Zelenskyy stated that the two North Korean prisoners of war were recently sent to the Republic of Korea. One of the soldiers attempted to take his own life upon realizing he would be taken prisoner, expressing shock that fate did not allow him to die.

Zelenskyy did not provide further details about the transfer. The Ukrainian soldiers were captured in Russia's Kursk region in January of the previous year, marking the first time North Korean soldiers were apprehended alive since the country's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war in 2024. At that time, Zelenskyy had expressed his willingness to hand the soldiers over to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in exchange for Ukrainians held captive in Russia.

However, human rights groups urged him to repatriate the soldiers to South Korea due to the potential risks and punishments they might face. South Korean media reported that the two captured soldiers have now been handed over.