Ukraine Sent Two North Korean P.O.W.s to South Korea, Zelensky Says

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said one soldier tried to kill himself when he was captured. “This is how they raise people in the North,” he said. Two North Korean soldiers who had been captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia were recently sent to South Korea,​ President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said. The South Korean government on Thursday declined to confirm the arrival of the North Korean prisoners of war, stating only that it had been in talks with Ukraine and other relevant groups. It explained that officials could not share details about the “timing or route” of the possible transfer to protect the safety of the two soldiers and their families in North Korea. Mr. Zelensky revealed the transfer of the soldiers to South Korea during a speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday. He also sharply criticized North Korea and its leader, Kim Jong-un, for deploying troops on Russia’s behalf. “The leader of North Korea sent his troops to Russia to support the weak points of the Russian army,” Mr. Zelensky said. “Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? Kim Jong-un uses them like currency.” Mr. Zelensky did not provide details about the North Korean soldiers.

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