Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated on Sunday (January 12) that he is prepared to hand over the North Korean soldiers captured in the Russian Kursk region in exchange for Ukrainian prisoners being held in Russia.
Zelensky took to the X platform of social media to post, “Ukraine is ready to transfer the soldiers of Kim Jong-un if he can organize the exchange using these soldiers for our warriors detained in Russia.” The post also included a video allegedly showing two North Korean soldiers undergoing interrogation.
“For those North Korean soldiers who do not wish to return, there may be other options,” Zelensky added. “Those who spread the truth of this war in Korean and express willingness to bring peace closer will have this opportunity.”
On Saturday, Ukraine claimed to have captured two North Korean soldiers, marking the first time North Koreans have been captured participating in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
So far, both Moscow and Pyongyang have not officially acknowledged the presence of North Korean troops in Russia.
The video shared by Zelensky on Sunday showed that both North Korean soldiers appeared to be injured, with one soldier having a cut on his chin and the other having bandages wrapped around his hands.
One of the soldiers in the video stated that he was unaware that he was in combat with the Ukrainian army, as his commander had informed him it was a training exercise.
Later on Sunday evening, in his daily address, Zelensky mentioned that one of the soldiers “expressed a desire to stay in Ukraine.”
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) stated that the two North Korean soldiers are currently receiving treatment in Kyiv.