Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [Getty Images]
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky [Getty Images]

The Kremlin said it has no information regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's announcement that two captured North Korean soldiers had been sent to South Korea.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, asked Thursday (local time) whether Russia had any information about the North Korean prisoners of war being transferred to South Korea, replied, "We have no information on this matter," according to Yonhap, citing Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.

However, Peskov added that "the issue of prisoners of war falls under the purview of our Defense Ministry and intelligence agencies," and that "contacts at the intelligence agency level are continuing."

The two North Korean soldiers, who had fought for Russia in the war in Ukraine, traveled to South Korea of their own volition — roughly one year and eight months after being captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January last year. Their transfer is believed to have been arranged through behind-the-scenes negotiations between South Korea and Ukraine.

Lawmaker Yoo says South Korean intelligence played key behind-the-scenes role

Zelensky publicly disclosed Wednesday (local time in New York) during his address to the UN General Assembly that two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces had recently been sent to South Korea. People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Yong-won said at a National Assembly press conference that day that he understood the two had arrived in the country between Sept. 3 and Sept. 4, Yonhap reported.

"Why should North Korean people sacrifice their lives in a war against Ukraine?" Zelensky said. "Should we give more time to such forces to learn how to wage war?"

He went on to say that "Kim Jong-un is using them like currency and getting something in return," adding that "nations across Asia will have already noticed North Korea's improved ballistic missile capabilities and its greatly advanced drone capacity."

Zelensky also argued that "the North Korean leader sent his troops to Russia to support the weakest parts of the Russian military, and North Korean forces have suffered enormous losses," and that "a war that was not stopped in time, not halted in time, and in which Russia was not punished in time is spreading and spreading evil along with it."

Regarding the transfer, Yoo said after the press conference that "in the case of our government, I understand that the intelligence authorities played a considerable role behind the scenes," adding, "I think the relevant agencies are likely protecting the individuals in custody."


yul@heraldcorp.com