Zelenskyy reveals North Korean POW transfer to South Korea at UN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at the United Nations General Assembly on 23 September that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The soldiers were captured in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025 and were the first North Korean troops apprehended alive since their country joined the conflict in 2024. Zelenskyy described the capture as difficult, noting that one soldier attempted suicide upon realisation he would be taken prisoner. He stated the soldiers were recently sent to South Korea but provided no additional operational details.

The transfer followed months of consultations between Kyiv and Seoul. South Korean media had previously reported that the captured soldiers expressed a desire to defect to South Korea. Human rights organisations had urged repatriation to the South rather than return to North Korea, where the soldiers could face severe punishment. South Korea's Foreign Ministry confirmed it had been consulting with Ukraine but declined to confirm details about the transfer timing, route, or specific contents of discussions, citing safety concerns for the soldiers and their families.

The disclosure triggered a diplomatic dispute. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated on 24 September that Ukraine had violated a confidentiality agreement by publicly announcing the transfer. He described the reception of North Korean POWs as a highly sensitive matter with potential impacts on diplomacy, national security, and inter-Korean relations. Zelenskyy's chief of staff Dmytro Lytvyn responded that Ukraine is an "open country" and that disclosing a factual transfer was not a breach of secrecy, noting that confidential handling of prisoner transfers would be unusual.

Zelenskyy used the announcement to criticise North Korea's military involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war. He questioned why North Korean soldiers should die fighting Ukraine and accused North Korean leader Kim Jong Un of using troops as "currency" to gain concessions from Russia. He noted that other Asian nations had likely observed North Korea's enhanced ballistic missiles and advanced drone capabilities, implying technology transfer from Russia as compensation.

Ukrainian and South Korean estimates indicate approximately 14,000 to 15,000 North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia since 2024, primarily in the Kursk region. South Korean intelligence assessed that approximately 2,000 North Korean troops were killed in combat. Zelenskyy had previously considered exchanging the captured soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia, but ultimately agreed to their transfer to South Korea following diplomatic pressure and humanitarian concerns.