Ukraine Transfers 2 North Korean POWs to South Korea as Defectors Faced Repatriation Risks
Updated
Updated · Yahoo News UK · Sep 24
Ukraine Transfers 2 North Korean POWs to South Korea as Defectors Faced Repatriation Risks
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo News UK · Sep 24
Summary
Zelenskiy told the U.N. General Assembly that Ukraine recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea after capturing them alive in Russia's Kursk region.
The two soldiers were seized in January last year — the first North Koreans captured alive since Pyongyang entered the war in 2024 — and South Korean media said they wanted to defect.
South Korea's foreign ministry declined to confirm the transfer or timing, citing the safety of the soldiers and their families, though Seoul said in June it would accept all North Korean POWs who fought for Russia.
Human rights groups had urged Ukraine not to return the men to North Korea, where they could face punishment, while Zelenskiy used the announcement to condemn Kim Jong Un for sending troops as "currency" for Russia.
Ukraine and South Korea estimate North Korea has sent 14,000 to 15,000 troops to aid Russia, along with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, missiles and rocket systems.