Ukraine's President Zelenskyy publicly stated on the 23rd local time that two North Korean prisoners have been transferred to South Korea recently. Yonhap reported that the South Korean government did not deny this, and has in fact confirmed it.
During his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Zelenskyy said that two North Korean soldiers were sent to South Korea recently. He detailed the process of capturing those North Korean soldiers.
The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated regarding the issue of North Korean captives on that day that South Korea has always insisted on respecting the free will of the parties involved and resolving the issue in a manner that complies with international law and humanitarian principles. In accordance with this position, South Korea has maintained necessary communication and consultations with relevant countries and institutions such as Ukraine.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is difficult to confirm whether North Korean captives have been transferred to South Korea, through what channels they were transferred, and the specific timing. At the same time, it did not deny the information released by Zelenskyy. According to Yonhap, given Zelenskyy's public announcement that North Korean prisoners of war have been sent to South Korea, it can be inferred that these prisoners have safely arrived and are being protected by relevant South Korean agencies.
In early last year, Ukraine captured two North Korean military prisoners of war in the Kursk region in western Russia. Previously, they expressed their desire to go to South Korea through letters sent to groups of North Koreans who have crossed over from North Korea to South Korea. The South Korean government has maintained its position of wanting to accept these North Korean military prisoners of war captured by Ukraine and has been in ongoing negotiations with the Ukrainian government. Leaders from South Korea and Ukraine held talks during the NATO summit in July this year, where the issue of North Korean prisoners of war was discussed. In June of this year, foreign ministers from South Korea and Ukraine also agreed that this issue should be handled based on respect for the wishes of the prisoners and in accordance with the International Humanitarian Law.
