For these POWs going back to North Korea was likely not an option since they were expected to die in combat and would probably face labor camp if they returned after being captured:

Ukraine has recently sent two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces to South Korea, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said.

“Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea,” Zelenskyy said during his address at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday (U.S. time), referring to South Korea by its official name.

Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in early 2025 after being deployed to Russia’s Kursk region in support of Moscow’s war against Ukraine. They have reportedly expressed their desire to come to South Korea.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

It will be interesting to see if any big announcements come out of this summit:

U.S. President Donald Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping in a rare welcome at a military base near Washington on Wednesday, as Xi kicked off his three-day state visit to the United States for a summit on trade, artificial intelligence (AI), security and other key issues.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump gave Xi and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan the rare welcome on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on the eve of the leaders’ White House summit — the third in-person meeting following their previous talks in Busan, South Korea, last October, and in Beijing in May. 

Trump’s greeting upon Xi’s arrival rather than at the presidential compound underscored the importance the U.S. president attaches to the visit by the leader of the Asian superpower, as the high-stakes summit is set to feature crucial issues, including a bilateral trade truce, AI safety and Taiwan’s security.

Yonhap

You can read more at the link.

Really nothing new coming out of Trump’s meeting with President Lee other than the various bilaterla issues they have been working are continuing to move forward:

President Lee Jae Myung held a 30-minute summit with US President Donald Trump Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to address key bilateral issues, including the wartime operational control transfer.

The two leaders affirmed their shared commitment to deepening cooperation in the field of nuclear-powered submarines, enrichment and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, shipbuilding, and the transfer of wartime OPCON of the South Korean military from the US to South Korea, Cheong Wa Dae’s director of national security Wi Sung-lac said in a briefing to reporters Tuesday.

According to Cheong Wa Dae, follow-up coordination regarding these issues will be discussed in Washington next week.

The meeting came ahead of an annual security consultative meeting between the allies expected in November, drawing keen attention to whether talks for the wartime OPCON transfer would be on the table.

Korea Herald

You can read more at the link.

One option being floated is expanding Korea’s anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden:

“It is important that the Cheonghae Unit remains under independent Korean command and focuses on protecting Korean vessels and nationals, rather than becoming involved in combat operations,” said Cho Yong-geun, a professor of military studies at Kyungnam University.

He added that “if it is after the war ends, there would be no problem” with expanding the unit’s operations toward the strait.

The professor’s remarks came as Seoul faces continued pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to contribute to efforts to secure freedom of navigation through the strait amid the months-long war with Iran.

Trump has repeatedly called on allies to play a greater role, with no allies so far committing to direct military involvement.

At a press conference Friday, Lee drew a clear line at combat involvement, saying Korea would not send troops to “participate or intervene in the war,” while leaving room for other military activities to protect Korean vessels, crude oil transportation routes and citizens.

You can read more over at the Korea Times. So basically this professor is advocating for appearing to do something to help the U.S. without actually doing anything.

Now if the Korean Navy protects international shipping from Houthi attacks then that would be a significant contribution. I guess we will see what happens.

It is arguable that Trump got what he wanted again though the media will never admit it:

Under the deal — which reaffirmed “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark” and recognised Greenland’s “right to self-determination” — Washington will establish military bases in Narsarsuaq in the south of the island and Mestersvig in the east, in addition to the Pituffik base it already operates in the north.

In a section aimed at barring U.S. adversaries China and Russia from gaining a foothold in the Arctic, the agreement blocks non-NATO, non-EU countries from strategic sectors in Greenland.

“The Parties agree that states or investors from a state that is not a member of NATO, a NATO partner, or an EU member state shall not be allowed to have control, significant influence, or access to non-public information that may constitute a threat to national security or public order within particularly sensitive sectors or activities in the territory of Greenland (including the Territorial Waters), unless agreed between the Parties that the activities of such states or investors would not constitute a threat to national security or public order,” the agreement says.

The agreement also stipulates that Greenland, home to 57,000 inhabitants, must continue to abide by the agreement even if it obtains independence from Denmark, and must remain in or join NATO “if necessary”.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link, but this is another example of Trump making what appears to be outrageous demands and settling on what he really wanted while the media calls him stupid.

It appears the educational related suicide epidemic in Korea has even spread to foreign students:

About one in five international students who died in Korea over the past six years took their own lives, fueling calls for stronger mental health support as their numbers in the country continue to grow.

According to data the Ministry of Education submitted to Rep. Kim Moon-soo on Monday after surveying some 350 universities nationwide, 84 international students at Korean universities died between 2021 and this year. 

Accidents, including traffic accidents, caused the most deaths at 34 cases, followed by illness at 23, suicide at 15, undetermined causes at seven and other causes at five.

Korea Times

You can read more at the link.