South Korea has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine over the public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, accusing Kyiv of breaking a confidentiality agreement and subsequently denying that such an agreement existed.
Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential secretary for public relations, said on Sunday that Seoul “expresses strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a nondisclosure agreement”. He said the South Korean government was reviewing whether additional measures were necessary.
According to Seong, Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the prisoners’ transfer with Seoul through various channels and had asked South Korea to keep the matter secret. Kyiv had argued that public disclosure could provoke domestic criticism that Ukraine had surrendered an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners, he said.
South Korea agreed to the requested confidentiality because of security, diplomatic and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the two prisoners and their families, Seong said. He added that Ukraine later disclosed the transfer in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the United Nations General Assembly without sufficient prior consultation and subsequently denied that a confidentiality agreement had existed.
Seong said the denial had seriously damaged trust between the two governments and could affect bilateral relations. Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. He said the men had recently been sent to South Korea after being captured while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had said several days earlier that Ukraine had disclosed the transfer in breach of a nondisclosure agreement. In a post on X, Lee said it had been appropriate “in every aspect not to disclose” the transfer because of its potential consequences and said the two countries had agreed to keep the matter confidential.
“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.
Ukraine captured the two North Koreans in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. They were the first North Korean soldiers to be captured alive since Pyongyang entered the war in 2024 in support of Russia.
South Korea had previously declined to confirm the soldiers’ arrival, citing concerns about their safety and that of family members who remained in North Korea. Seoul and Kyiv had been discussing a possible transfer after the two men expressed a desire to travel to South Korea, according to an opposition lawmaker in Seoul.
The dispute comes as South Korea has supported efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea, while US President Donald Trump has renewed his willingness to engage with Pyongyang.
