PPP lawmaker, ruling party clash over planned letter thanking Zelenskyy

Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party clashed with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in South Korea on Saturday over her planned letter thanking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for transferring two North Korean POWs to South Korea. The DPK called the letter plan irresponsible and said confidentiality was needed to protect the POWs and their families. The dispute followed Zelenskyy’s disclosure of the transfer at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23 and Seoul’s recall of its ambassador to Ukraine.

The two North Korean soldiers, identified by the surnames Ri and Paek, were captured while fighting for Russia in 2025 and transferred to South Korea at their request.

DPK spokesperson Lee Yong-woo said Seoul sought an explanation and apology from Kyiv and assurances that the disclosure would not happen again.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers that Ukraine sent a message containing words of apology, but Seoul considered it insufficient.

South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, who arrived in Seoul on Saturday.

Na Kyung-won called for the dismissal of the foreign minister and other diplomatic and security officials involved in the ambassador recall.

Published Oct 10, 2026 5:31 pm KST

Na calls for dismissal of foreign minister, officials over ambassador recall

Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition People Power Party speaks during a special discussion session with other lawmakers from the party at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sept. 21. Yonhap

Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition People Power Party clashed with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Saturday after the latter criticized her plan to send a letter thanking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea.

On Friday, Na said she would send Zelensky a letter expressing her deep gratitude for his “magnanimous decision” to allow the two POWs, identified by their surnames Ri and Paek, to be transferred to South Korea in accordance with their wishes. The plan drew strong criticism from the ruling party.

Na hit back on Saturday, describing the ruling party's response as “absurd” and accusing DPK lawmakers of attacking her for expressing gratitude to the Ukrainian president.

"After I announced that I would send a letter of thanks to the Ukrainian president for transferring the North Korean prisoners of war, DPK lawmakers rushed to attack me one after another, like a suicide squad," she wrote on Facebook.

"Are they lawmakers of the Republic of Korea? Or are they members of the North Korean leadership? Are they lawmakers of the Workers' Party of Korea? Why do they willingly act as mouthpieces for the North Korean regime?" she added, referring to North Korea's ruling party.

The DPK rejected Na's criticism as “irresponsible incitement,” saying Ukraine had violated an agreement to keep the POW transfer confidential.

This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service, Friday (local time), shows Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy singing Ukraine's national anthem during a ceremony to present housing certificates to Heroes of Ukraine and the families of fallen soldiers awarded the title posthumously in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP-Yonhap

DPK spokesperson Lee Yong-woo said confidentiality was necessary to protect the POWs and their families still in North Korea.

“Stop the irresponsible incitement that brands even demands to protect those involved and their families under international standards as pro-North Korean,” he said in a press release.

Lee said Seoul had sought an explanation and an apology from Kyiv, along with assurances that such a disclosure would not happen again, while maintaining consultations with Ukraine. He said restoring trust was essential for future transfers.

The dispute began when Zelenskyy disclosed the POW transfer during a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23. The North Korean soldiers had been captured while fighting for Russia in 2025.

Seoul said the disclosure violated a confidentiality agreement, which Kyiv denied existed. President Lee Jae Myung then called for an explanation and an apology.

Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers that Ukraine had sent a message that included "words of apology," but that it fell short of Seoul’s expectations.

The South Korean government subsequently recalled its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, who arrived in Seoul on Saturday.

Na also condemned the recall, saying the decision could undermine future efforts to bring North Korean POWs to South Korea.

“We have cut off our North Korean compatriots’ lifeline and their path to defection with our own hands,” she said.

She called for the dismissal of the foreign minister and other diplomatic and security officials involved in the decision, arguing the recall would benefit only Pyongyang and Moscow.

韩国国民力量党议员罗京媛周六与执政的共同民主党就其计划致信乌克兰总统泽连斯基，感谢其将两名朝鲜战俘移交给韩国一事发生冲突。共同民主党称此举不负责任，并表示需要保密以保护战俘及其家属。此前，泽连斯基于9月23日在联合国大会上宣布了此次移交，随后首尔召回了驻乌克兰大使。

这两名朝鲜士兵，姓李和白，于 2025 年在为俄罗斯作战时被俘，并应其要求移送至韩国。

朝鲜民主主义人民共和国发言人李勇宇表示，首尔方面已向基辅方面寻求解释和道歉，并保证此类泄密事件不会再次发生。

韩国外交部长赵显告诉议员们，乌克兰发来了包含道歉内容的电报，但首尔方面认为这远远不够。

韩国召回了周六抵达首尔的驻乌克兰大使朴基昌。

罗京元呼吁解雇外交部长及其他参与召回大使的外交和安全官员。

发布于2026年10月10日下午5:31（韩国标准时间）

Na呼吁因大使召回事件解雇外交部长和官员。

9月21日，在首尔国会，主要反对党国民力量党议员罗京元与其他党内议员举行特别讨论会并发表讲话。（韩联社）

周六，主要反对党国民力量党议员罗京媛与执政的韩国共同民主党发生冲突，此前后者批评她计划致信乌克兰总统泽连斯基，感谢他将两名朝鲜战俘移交给韩国。

周五，罗女士表示，她将致信泽连斯基，表达对泽连斯基允许两名战俘（姓氏分别为李和白）按照其意愿移居韩国的“宽宏大量决定”的深切感谢。该计划遭到执政党的强烈批评。

周六，娜娜予以回击，称执政党的反应“荒谬”，并指责民主党议员攻击她，因为她向乌克兰总统表达了感激之情。

“在我宣布将致信感谢乌克兰总统移交朝鲜战俘后，朝鲜民主主义人民党议员们像自杀小队一样，一个接一个地冲过来攻击我，”她在脸书上写道。

“他们是韩国的立法者吗？还是朝鲜的领导层成员？他们是朝鲜劳动党的立法者吗？他们为什么甘愿成为朝鲜政权的传声筒？”她补充道，这里指的是朝鲜的执政党。

德意志民主共和国驳斥了Na的批评，称其为“不负责任的煽动”，并表示乌克兰违反了对战俘移交保密的协议。

这张由乌克兰总统新闻处于周五（当地时间）拍摄并发布的照片​​显示，在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰期间，乌克兰总统泽连斯基在基辅出席向“乌克兰英雄”及其阵亡将士家属颁发住房证书的仪式，并演唱乌克兰国歌。这些阵亡将士被追授“乌克兰英雄”称号。法新社-韩联社

朝鲜民主主义人民共和国发言人李勇宇表示，保密对于保护仍在朝鲜的战俘及其家属至关重要。

他在一份新闻稿中表示：“停止这种不负责任的煽动行为，这些品牌甚至要求按照国际标准保护相关人员及其家人，因为他们是亲朝鲜的。”

李表示，首尔方面已要求基辅方面做出解释并道歉，同时要求其保证此类泄密事件不会再次发生，首尔方面也继续与乌克兰保持磋商。他表示，重建信任对于未来的信息转移至关重要。

这场争端始于泽连斯基 9 月 23 日在纽约联合国大会上发表讲话时披露战俘移交事宜。这些朝鲜士兵在 2025 年为俄罗斯作战时被俘。

首尔方面称，此次泄露违反了保密协议，但基辅方面否认存在该协议。随后，李在明总统要求基辅方面做出解释并道歉。

本周早些时候，韩国外交部长赵显告诉国会议员，乌克兰发来的信息中包含“道歉的措辞”，但并未达到首尔的预期。

随后，韩国政府召回了其驻乌克兰大使朴基昌，朴基昌于周六抵达首尔。

罗女士也谴责了这一召回决定，称该决定可能会破坏未来将朝鲜战俘带到韩国的努力。

“我们亲手切断了朝鲜同胞的生命线和他们叛逃的途径，”她说。

她呼吁解雇外交部长和其他参与该决定的外交和安全官员，认为召回只会让平壤和莫斯科受益。