Ukraine, South Korea clash over transfer of 2 North Korean prisoners

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on September 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sparked a diplomatic dust-up with South Korea . In his speech, Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukraine had recently "sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea" — men who had been captured by Ukrainian forces during fighting in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025 . Both had expressed a wish to resettle in South Korea, he said.