Ukraine transfers 2 captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea: Zelenskyy

Ukraine has transferred two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday.

Speaking at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy said the two soldiers had been difficult to capture and had attempted to take their own lives rather than surrender.

Zelenskyy also accused North Korean leader Kim Jong Un of treating his soldiers as a form of “currency” in exchange for access to Russian military technologies.

Ukrainian forces captured the two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in early 2025, after they were deployed there to support Russian forces fighting Ukrainian troops that had entered the region.

Kyiv and Seoul subsequently discussed their possible transfer to South Korea in accordance with international law, humanitarian principles and the soldiers’ wishes.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Zelenskyy agreed in July to handle the issue on humanitarian grounds while respecting the wishes of the soldiers.