Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on October 4 (local time), met with local journalists and stated regarding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners to South Korea, “South Korea requested the transfer of the North Korean soldiers,” and “According to the South Korean Constitution, they are also South Korean citizens,” as reported by local media including Reuters and Suspilne.
Zelenskyy’s remarks came after he first disclosed the repatriation of North Korean prisoners during his UN General Assembly speech last month (September 2026), following which President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over the breach of a ‘non-public agreement,’ leading to worsening relations between the two countries. This is his first statement in this context.
However, Zelenskyy did not directly mention the fact that South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung protested, claiming Ukraine breached the non-public agreement on prisoner repatriation, according to Reuters.
Zelenskyy recently stated that Russia is sharing new jet-engine drone technology, which it has actively begun operating in combat, with North Korea. When asked by reporters about the possibility of Russia transferring jet-propelled drone technology to North Korea, he replied, “Yes, of course.”
He continued, “They share all technology with North Korea,” and added, “I don’t know exactly which technologies, such as ballistic missiles, have been shared, but I believe this is because North Korea has aided them with missiles.”
Zelenskyy stated, “When we captured North Korean prisoners, they were different from the first North Korean soldiers dispatched to Russia,” and added, “They have learned a lot. They shared experiences and received training.”
He further stated, “The North Korean military has learned not only how to operate drones but also electronic warfare defense methods from Russia,” and emphasized, “The fact that North Korean soldiers have gained knowledge and experience on the battlefield is a very dangerous factor.”
Zelenskyy remarked, “If Russia trains 50,000 people North Korean soldiers to fight, this means the knowledge will be shared with hundreds of thousands of North Korean soldiers,” and added, “In this regard, cooperation between Ukraine and Japan is crucial, and I believe it serves the interests of both sides.”
Zelenskyy mentioned sharing information related to North Korean soldiers with Japan and stated, “Japan is an excellent country with outstanding technology, but its lack of experience in conducting modern warfare is a very dangerous factor.”
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