Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, says his country has transferred two North Korean soldiers who were captured in the country’s war with Russia to South Korea.

According to a Reuters report, Zelensky said on Wednesday, September 23, in his speech at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly that these two soldiers were recently sent to South Korea.

He did not provide further details about the transfer process of these individuals, but South Korean media have reported that the two soldiers, after leaving Ukraine, passed through a third country and arrived in South Korea a few days ago.

Ukraine had captured these two soldiers last January in Russia’s Kursk region.

They were the first North Korean soldiers to be captured alive since the entry of this country’s forces into the Russia-Ukraine war in 2024.

Zelensky also criticized the deployment of North Korean forces to Russia and said that Kim Jong Un, the leader of North Korea, is using his country’s soldiers in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Based on Ukrainian and South Korean estimates, North Korea has sent about 14,000 to 15,000 soldiers to Russia since 2024.