Zelenskyy says Ukraine sent two North Korean POWs to South Korea

Ukraine has recently transferred two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Russia’s Kursk region to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address to the United Nations General Assembly.

“Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea. These guys are not easy to capture alive,” he said. “One of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself and he was shocked that fate didn’t let him die. This is how they raise people in the North.”

The two soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in early 2025 after being deployed to Russia’s Kursk region to support Russian forces. They were the first North Korean soldiers publicly confirmed to have been captured alive since Pyongyang’s troops entered the war on Russia’s side. South Korea’s intelligence service subsequently confirmed their capture.

Zelenskyy did not provide further details about the transfer in his UN address. South Korean officials have said Seoul held consultations with Ukraine and other relevant parties over the fate of the prisoners. In June, South Korea said it would accept North Korean POWs captured by Ukraine if they wished to relocate to the South, while opposing their forced repatriation to either North Korea or Russia.

Earlier, Ukraine had offered to return the two soldiers to North Korea in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia, provided Kim Jong Un facilitated such an exchange. Human rights organisations, however, urged Kyiv to send the soldiers to South Korea, citing the risk of reprisals against them and their families if they were returned to North Korea. Human Rights Watch said in February that the fate of the two men remained unresolved and that they feared forced return.

Zelenskyy also criticised Pyongyang for sending troops to fight in the war.

“This is madness. Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? Kim Jong Un is using them as currency. And he gets something in return,” he said.

Ukraine and South Korea estimate that North Korea has sent between 14,000 and 15,000 troops to support Russia since 2024, along with millions of artillery and mortar shells, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems.

Zelenskyy also told the UN General Assembly that Russia was using citizens of 47 countries in the war, naming Ghana, Nepal, Tajikistan, India, Yemen, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Belarus, Sudan and South Africa among them.

“In this war — Ghana, Nepal, Tajikistan, India, Yemen, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Cuba, Belarus, Sudan, South Africa and many, many others,” he said.

Earlier reports indicate that North Korean forces involved in fighting in Russia’s Kursk region in 2025 suffered more than 2,000 fatalities. Ukrainian military intelligence estimates that about 8,500 North Korean military personnel are currently in Russia, including some 400 drone operators.

According to Ukrainian claims, North Korea has sought Russian military equipment in return for supplying Moscow with troops and ammunition. Pyongyang allegedly requested the S-400 air-defence system and has already received a Pantsir-1 air-defence missile launcher.

The figures on North Korean troop deployments and losses are wartime estimates and could not be independently verified.

By Tamilla Hasanova