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outh Korea has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul despite an agreement to keep the matter confidential.
Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential secretary for public relations, said Sunday that Seoul strongly regretted Ukraine’s decision to publicly announce the transfer and its subsequent denial that a nondisclosure agreement had existed.
“The presidential office expresses strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement,” Seong said in a statement.
He added that the South Korean government was reviewing whether additional measures were necessary in response to the dispute.
The controversy followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s announcement last week during the United Nations General Assembly that Kyiv had transferred two North Korean POWs to South Korea. Zelenskyy said the soldiers had been captured while fighting alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
According to the South Korean presidential office, Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the prisoners’ transfer with Seoul through various channels and had asked South Korea to keep the arrangement secret. Kyiv had reportedly been concerned that publicly transferring the soldiers could trigger domestic criticism that Ukraine had surrendered an opportunity to exchange them for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia.
Seoul agreed to maintain confidentiality, citing security, diplomatic and humanitarian considerations. South Korean officials said secrecy was particularly important for protecting the prisoners and their families.
The presidential office said Zelenskyy subsequently disclosed the transfer at the UN without sufficient consultation with Seoul and later denied that a confidentiality agreement had been reached.
Seong said the denial had seriously undermined trust between the two governments and could have consequences for bilateral relations.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had already addressed the dispute publicly on Thursday, saying Ukraine had disclosed the transfer in violation of a nondisclosure agreement.
Lee said keeping the transfer confidential had been appropriate because of the potential consequences for the prisoners and other parties involved.
“I do not know what circumstances led the Ukrainian side to disclose the matter despite the confidentiality agreement, but it is deeply regrettable,” Lee wrote in a post on X.
Ukraine, however, disputed Seoul’s characterization of the arrangement.
Dmytro Lytvyn, an adviser to Zelenskyy, told journalists that Ukraine was an “open country” and suggested that keeping the transfer secret would have been unusual.
“From the entire story – which is long and detailed – we reported only the fact itself, that they were sent to the Republic of Korea,” Lytvyn said.
The conflicting accounts have created a diplomatic dispute between Seoul and Kyiv over how the transfer was handled and whether an agreement restricting public disclosure was formally reached.
The issue is particularly sensitive because of the unusual circumstances surrounding the two prisoners, who were captured while serving with Russian forces.
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Ukraine captured the two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. According to the report, they were the first North Korean soldiers captured alive since Pyongyang began supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine in 2024.
Their transfer to South Korea followed discussions between Seoul and Kyiv over the legal and humanitarian status of North Korean prisoners.
The issue was also discussed during a NATO summit in Ankara in July, where Lee met Zelenskyy. South Korea’s senior presidential spokesperson, Kang Yu-jung, said afterward that the two leaders had agreed to address the status of North Korean POWs in accordance with international law.
The agreement built on an earlier understanding reached during a South Korea-Ukraine foreign ministers’ meeting in March, when the two countries pledged to cooperate on the POW issue.
The dispute comes as South Korea seeks to revive dialogue with North Korea and as US President Donald Trump has again expressed willingness to engage with Pyongyang.
The presence of North Korean troops in Russia has become a significant issue in the wider Ukraine war. According to South Korean intelligence cited in the report, North Korea is estimated to have deployed between 14,000 and 15,000 soldiers to support Moscow since 2024, primarily in Russia’s Kursk border region.
South Korean, Ukrainian and Western officials have said the North Korean forces suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 soldiers killed in fighting.
The fate of North Korean POWs has consequently become an issue involving not only Ukraine and South Korea but also the broader diplomatic and security relationship between Seoul, Pyongyang, Moscow and Kyiv.
For South Korea, the latest dispute has raised concerns about the handling of sensitive information involving the prisoners and their families. For Ukraine, the issue has highlighted its position that the transfer itself was significant enough to be publicly disclosed.
The two governments now face the task of addressing their conflicting accounts over the alleged confidentiality agreement while continuing cooperation on the status of North Korean prisoners captured during the war.
(Source: Aljazeera English)
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