Ukraine has transferred two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has announced.
Zelenskiy disclosed the transfer during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, saying the two men had recently been sent to South Korea after being captured in Russia’s Kursk region.
The soldiers were captured alive by Ukrainian forces in January 2025. They were reportedly among North Korean troops deployed to support Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Zelenskiy said the circumstances surrounding their capture were difficult, noting that one of the soldiers attempted to take his own life after realising he was about to be captured.
The two men were the first North Korean soldiers captured alive by Ukraine after North Korea became directly involved in the war alongside Russia in 2024.
Following their capture, Zelenskiy had previously said Ukraine could hand the soldiers over to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if they could be exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia.
Human rights organisations, however, called for the soldiers to be transferred to South Korea, citing concerns about what could happen to them if they were returned to North Korea. South Korean media had also reported that the two men wanted to defect to South Korea.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret that Ukraine publicly disclosed the transfer.
Lee said Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the matter confidential, describing the issue as sensitive because of its potential implications for diplomacy, national security and the Korean Peninsula. (Anadolu Ajansı)
South Korean officials have nevertheless acknowledged consultations with Ukraine over the prisoners, while Seoul has maintained that their wishes should be respected.
The transfer comes as South Korea continues to express interest in reopening dialogue with North Korea, while the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has also signalled willingness to engage with Pyongyang.
The case has added another diplomatic dimension to North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war against Ukraine, particularly over the fate of captured North Korean personnel.
