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Ukraine Sent Two North Korean P.O.W.s to South Korea, Zelensky Says
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine while fighting for Russia have been transferred to South Korea, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
- South Korea has not confirmed the soldiers' arrival, citing security concerns for the soldiers and their families, but acknowledged ongoing discussions with Ukraine.
- Zelensky criticized North Korean leader Kim Jong-un for sending troops to support Russia's military efforts, calling it an exploitation of North Korean soldiers.
- The two soldiers are believed to be the only known North Korean POWs in Ukraine and have expressed a desire to defect to South Korea, which legally recognizes all North Koreans as citizens.
- Interrogations and recovered wartime diaries have revealed the North Korean regime's systematic exploitation of its citizens for economic and geopolitical purposes.
