Two North Korean POWs Arrive in South Korea "Three to Four Days Ago"

[Anchor]

Two North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces have arrived in South Korea. Coming one year and eight months after their capture, they are reported to have entered the country three to four days ago. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was the first to disclose this fact.

Reporter Choi Jae-yeong has our top story.

[Reporter]

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise revelation during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly early this morning (September 24), Korean time, that two North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces had been sent to South Korea.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / President of Ukraine: Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war captured by the Ukrainian army to the Republic of Korea.]

He made the remarks while criticizing that "Kim Jong Un is using North Korean soldiers as currency to receive compensation."

The South Korean government virtually confirmed President Zelenskyy's remarks, stating, "We have engaged in necessary communication and consultations with the Ukrainian side."

It appears that the two POWs arrived in South Korea only a few days ago.

A North Korean defector group that has been supporting the prisoners said that just ten days ago, it had sent North Korean food to a detention facility in Ukraine.

[Jang Se-yul / Representative of Gyeore-eol National Unification Union: We delivered hometown food on September 14. It was delivered to the POW camp, and we received confirmation from the prison guard that it had been handed over to our prisoners.]

Lawmaker Yu Yong-weon of the People Power Party, who met the prisoners in person, also said, "I understand that the Ukrainian government recently decided on a policy to send the prisoners without conditions," adding the following:

[Yu Yong-weon / Lawmaker, People Power Party: I understand they left Ukraine last weekend, transited through a third country, and arrived in South Korea three to four days ago.]

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region of Russia in January of last year.

[North Korean Prisoner of War (January 2025): They probably won't send me home, right? (Do you want to go home?) If they tell me to go, I'll go.]

Initially, they were not proactive about going to South Korea, but:

[North Korean Prisoner of War / February 25, 2025 Interview (Source: Office of Lawmaker Yu Yong-weon, People Power Party): I think I'm beginning to make up my mind. I think I need to think about it a bit more.]

In October of last year, they conveyed their desire to go to South Korea through a letter sent to a defector group.

Subsequently, the issue of the North Korean POWs was also discussed during the first summit between President Lee Jae-myung and President Zelenskyy last July, and one year and eight months after being captured on the battlefield, the two North Korean soldiers have set foot on South Korean soil.

Currently, the custody of the two individuals is reported to be safely secured and protected by relevant authorities.

(Reported by Shin Dong-hwan | Video by Lee Seung-jin | Graphics by Park Cheon-ung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.