S. Korea, Ukraine had no discussion on timing of disclosing NK POW repatriation: diplomat

South Korea and Ukraine agreed to keep discussions on repatriating captured North Korean soldiers confidential for as long as possible, a South Korean diplomat said Sunday in Warsaw. Yoon Ji-wan said Seoul was not consulted on the timing of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Sept. 23 disclosure at the U.N. General Assembly. The revelation worsened bilateral relations, prompting South Korea to recall its ambassador to Ukraine.

Yoon Ji-wan said Ukraine had not provided a specific explanation for why Zelenskyy disclosed the repatriation of the North Korean prisoners of war.

Yoon said criticism had emerged within Ukraine over poor internal coordination and the spontaneous breach of confidentiality.

South Korea says a non-disclosure agreement existed, while Ukraine has denied that such a pact existed and has rejected Seoul’s demand for an apology.

Yoon said putting the diplomatic understanding in writing would have amounted to a treaty and made it difficult to publicly disclose evidence of the discussions.

Yoon attended the parliamentary audit virtually from Kyiv, representing the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine after Ambassador Park Ki-chang was recalled.

Published Oct 18, 2026 9:48 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of their summit at a hotel in Ankara, Turkey, July 8. Yonhap

WARSAW — South Korea and Ukraine had formed a consensus to keep discussions on the repatriation of captured North Korean soldiers confidential for as long as possible, a South Korean diplomat said Sunday.

Yoon Ji-wan, charge d'affaires at the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine, made the remark during a parliamentary audit by the subcommittee on foreign affairs conducted at the South Korean Embassy in Poland.

"We had no discussions on a timeline for disclosure, but we did share the idea that confidentiality should be maintained for as long as possible," Yoon said via video.

Yoon said the embassy in Ukraine was caught off guard when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the repatriation of the North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) during his address to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23. Yoon added that Ukraine had yet to provide a specific explanation on why Zelenskyy made that disclosure.

"Even within Ukraine, there has been criticism over the lack of internal coordination and the spontaneous breach of confidentiality," Yoon said. "The Ukrainian side has not refuted our claims further. This has led us to believe that they cannot deny the existence of the non-disclosure agreement."

South Korea and Ukraine have seen their relations turn frosty in light of Zelenskyy's revelation. Seoul has accused Kyiv of breaching the non-disclosure agreement, while Ukraine has shot back that no such pact existed in the first place.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha recently claimed in a media interview that he considered the matter closed, shunning South Korea's demand for an apology.

Amid the diplomatic row, South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang.

When lawmakers pointed out that the failure to secure the non-disclosure deal in writing had caused the friction, Yoon said, "Formalizing a diplomatic agreement in writing would amount to a treaty," adding that it was difficult to publicly disclose specific proof of diplomatic discussions.

"The repatriation of the POWs is a major achievement for both nations," Yoon added. "There is a mutual understanding that bilateral relations should be built on stability and trust, and that this issue must be resolved wisely."

Yoon attended the parliamentary audit virtually from Kyiv, representing the embassy following Ambassador Park's recall.

韩国外交官尹智完周日在华沙表示，韩国和乌克兰同意尽可能长时间地对遣返被俘朝鲜士兵的讨论保密。尹智完称，乌克兰总统泽连斯基9月23日在联合国大会上披露此事时，韩国方面并未与韩国协商。这一披露导致韩乌关系恶化，韩国随即召回了驻乌克兰大使。

尹智婉表示，乌克兰方面没有就泽连斯基为何披露遣返朝鲜战俘一事给出具体解释。

尹表示，乌克兰国内出现了对内部协调不力以及自发违反保密规定的批评声音。

韩国方面表示存在保密协议，而乌克兰方面否认存在此类协议，并拒绝了首尔要求道歉的请求。

尹表示，将外交谅解以书面形式记录下来就相当于签订了条约，这将使公开披露讨论证据变得困难。

在韩国驻乌克兰大使朴基昌被召回后，尹锡悦通过视频连线从基辅参加了议会审计，代表韩国驻乌克兰大使馆出席。

发布于2026年10月18日晚上9:48（韩国标准时间）

7月8日，韩国总统李在明在土耳其安卡拉一家酒店与乌克兰总统泽连斯基举行峰会前握手。（韩联社）

华沙——一位韩国外交官周日表示，韩国和乌克兰已达成共识，将尽可能长时间地对遣返被俘朝鲜士兵的讨论保密。

韩国驻乌克兰大使馆临时代办尹智婉在韩国驻波兰大使馆接受外交事务小组委员会的议会审计时发表了上述言论。

尹锡悦通过视频表示：“我们没有讨论披露的时间表，但我们都认为应该尽可能长时间地保持保密性。”

尹表示，乌克兰总统泽连斯基在9月23日向联合国大会发表讲话时透露了遣返朝鲜战俘的消息，令朝鲜驻乌克兰大使馆措手不及。尹补充说，乌克兰方面尚未就泽连斯基为何做出这一披露给出具体解释。

尹表示：“即使在乌克兰国内，也存在对缺乏内部协调和擅自违反保密协议的批评。乌克兰方面没有进一步反驳我们的说法。这让我们相信，他们无法否认保密协议的存在。”

泽连斯基的言论导致韩国和乌克兰关系骤然降温。首尔指责基辅违反了保密协议，而乌克兰则反驳称根本不存在这样的协议。

乌克兰外交部长安德烈·西比哈最近在接受媒体采访时声称，他认为此事已经结束，拒绝了韩国要求道歉的请求。

在外交争端中，韩国召回了驻乌克兰大使朴基昌。

当议员们指出未能以书面形式达成保密协议导致了摩擦时，尹表示，“将外交协议以书面形式正式化就相当于签订了条约”，并补充说，很难公开披露外交讨论的具体证据。

尹锡悦补充说：“战俘遣返对两国来说都是一项重大成就。双方都认为，双边关系应建立在稳定和信任的基础上，这个问题必须得到妥善解决。”

尹美京在朴大使被召回后，代表大使馆从基辅以视频方式参加了国会审计。