Ukraine has transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday (September 23, 2026) in an address to the United Nations General Assembly.
Zelenskyy in his speech. Mr. The country’s unification ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. “This is madness too. Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? Kim Jong Un uses them like currency. Most of them have been deployed in the Russian region of Kursk, where they helped Moscow’s forces repel a Ukrainian incursion.
North Korea has sent around 14,000 to 15,000 soldiers since 2024 to support Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates.
“Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea,” said Mr. Zelenskyy said at the time that he would hand them over to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un if he could facilitate their exchange for Ukrainians held captive in Russia. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said it would not be able to confirm the matter, including details such as the timing of their return, citing the safety of the soldiers and their families. South Korea in June said it would accept all North Korean prisoners of war who fought for Russia and opposed any repatriation of them to Russia or North Korea. And he gets something in return,” he said. The country has also supplied Russia with millions of artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.
