Ukraine sent two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, Zelenskyy says
UNITED NATIONS/SEOUL — Ukraine has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday in an address to the United Nations General Assembly. "Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," said Zelenskyy in his speech. "These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized he was…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Wednesday that his country has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, addressing the United Nations General Assembly. These individuals posed a significant challenge for Ukraine during their capture, as one of them attempted suicide upon realizing he would become a prisoner. The fate of the soldier was apparently not in his favor, as his efforts to take his own life were thwarted, leaving him alive and in Ukrainian custody.
The two North Koreans were apprehended in Russia's Kursk region in January of the previous year, marking the first time that North Korean soldiers were taken alive since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2024. Zelenskyy had previously expressed his intention to hand the prisoners over to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, with the hope of exchanging them for Ukrainians held captive in Russia.
However, human rights organizations urged Zelenskyy to return the soldiers to South Korea due to the potential dangers and punishments they could face in North Korea.
South Korean media reported that the two North Korean soldiers have now been delivered to their destination.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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