▲ This file photo, provided by a civic group on Oct. 31, 2025, shows two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces with their faces blurred at a detention center in Ukraine. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more details)

SEOUL, Sept. 24 (Yonhap) -- Ukraine has recently sent two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said, with Seoul effectively confirming the move.

South Korean officials did not deny Zelenskyy's remarks, while noting that Seoul has conducted consultations with Kyiv over the issue.

"Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," Zelenskyy said during his address at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday (U.S. time), referring to South Korea by its official name.

"These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself and he was shocked that fate didn't let him die."

Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 after being deployed to Russia's Kursk region among thousands of North Korean troops in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine.

The two have expressed their desire to come to South Korea through a North Korean defector group in the South as well as through interviews.

South Korea's foreign ministry said it could not confirm details but noted that it has held talks with Ukraine and other countries and agencies based on its position to respect the "free will" of the two soldiers and resolve the issue in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.

"It is difficult to confirm whether the individuals have been handled, the timing and route, or the specific details about the consultations between the two countries," a foreign ministry official said, noting the issue concerns the safety of the two soldiers and their family.

An official at the presidential office reiterated the foreign ministry official's remarks in a press notice.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Zelenskyy agreed to handle North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine on humanitarian grounds while respecting their wishes during their summit in July on the sidelines of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara.

Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party claimed the two soldiers safely entered South Korea three to four days earlier via a third country and that Seoul and Kyiv agreed on the transfer in around June.

If they have entered the country, they are expected to be under the protection of the National Intelligence Service in line with the law on North Korean defectors.

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