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.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.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Russia’s strikes on Kyiv, Donetsk kill six after Trump-Zelenskyy talkslist 2 of 3Ukraine’s Zelenskyy calls for sustained pressure to end ‘Putin’s crazy war’list 3 of 3Trump administration invites Putin to attend G20 summit in Miamiend of list“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.