Ukraine has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a speech to the UN General Assembly, quoted by Reuters and Kyodo, BTA reported.
"We recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," Zelensky said.
"These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized he was going to be captured, attempted suicide. He was shocked that fate did not allow him to die," he added.
Zelensky did not provide further details about the transfer.
It is unclear whether Pyongyang has approved the transfer of its citizens to South Korea, Kyodo noted.
The two North Koreans were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January last year. They are the first North Korean soldiers captured alive since the DPRK entered the war between Russia and Ukraine in 2024.
At the time, Zelensky said he would hand them over to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un if it would help exchange them for Ukrainian citizens held captive in Russia.
However, human rights groups have urged him to send them to South Korea, citing the risk of punishment they would face if returned to North Korea. South Korean media reported that the two captured soldiers had expressed a desire to escape and settle in South Korea.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry declined to confirm the information, citing the need to protect the safety of the soldiers and their families. There has been no comment from the Ministry of National Unification so far.
In June, Seoul expressed its readiness to accept all North Korean prisoners of war who participated in the fighting on the side of Russia. The Republic of Korea stressed that it opposes their repatriation to Russia or North Korea.
In his speech, Zelensky also criticized Pyongyang for sending troops to support Moscow.
"This is also madness. Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? "Kim Jong-un uses them as a bargaining chip and gets something in return," he said.
According to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates, North Korea has sent between 14,000 and 15,000 troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine since 2024. Most of them have been stationed in Russia's Kursk region, where they have assisted Russian forces in repelling Ukrainian operations.
In addition to manpower, North Korea has supplied Russia with millions of rounds for cannons and mortars, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple rocket launchers, according to Ukrainian and independent estimates.