Lee says Ukraine disclosed transfer of 2 NK soldiers in breach of nondisclosure agreement

President Lee Jae Myung said in Mexico City that Ukraine breached a nondisclosure agreement by revealing the transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea. He said the disclosure could cause many problems and affect diplomacy, national security, and the security environment on the Korean Peninsula. Lee also said South Korea and Ukraine had agreed to keep the transfer confidential.

Lee said the issue was sensitive enough to affect diplomacy and national security, as well as the security environment on the Korean Peninsula.

A presidential official said South Korea had been aware in advance that Zelenskyy would disclose the transfer, because Ukraine had informed Seoul about the plan.

The official said Ukraine gave only vague information about the disclosure and did not explain how the transfer would be represented.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 after being deployed to Russia’s Kursk region.

Published Sep 25, 2026 1:17 am KST

Updated Sep 25, 2026 3:25 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City, Tuesday. Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

MEXICO CITY — President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday expressed regret that Ukraine disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea, calling it a breach of a nondisclosure agreement that he said may lead to many problems.

"It was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose, considering many problems it may cause when disclosed, and (we) had agreed to do so," Lee said in a post on his X account, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Ukraine recently sent the two North Korean POWs to South Korea.

Shortly after Zelenskyy's speech, the Ukrainian presidential office said the transfer of the two North Korean prisoners to South Korea was carried out through direct dialogue with Seoul.

"(Ukraine) disclosed the transfer in breach of a nondisclosure agreement," Lee wrote. "I don't know the reasons (for the disclosure), but I regret it."

Lee said the issue is a very sensitive matter that could immensely affect diplomacy and national security, as well as the security environment on the Korean Peninsula, adding that South Korea and Ukraine had agreed to a confidential transfer of the North Korean soldiers, in consideration of the many problems expected if the transfer were disclosed.

Seoul and Kyiv had reportedly been in discussions over a possible transfer of the North Korean POWs to South Korea after the two expressed their desire to come to South Korea.

The Seoul government had previously refused to confirm their arrival in Seoul, citing what it called potential dangers to the safety and lives of the POWs and their families still in North Korea.

Responding to a query from Yonhap News Agency, the Ukrainian presidential office said Thursday that the country has only disclosed the transfer of the North Koreans to South Korea without what it called the long details of the process, claiming that it would have been strange to keep the entire transfer a secret.

Lee also addressed opposition parties' criticism over the confidentiality agreement, saying it would be "cruel and irresponsible" to disclose the transfer regardless of how it would affect inter-Korean ties or whether it could lead to someone's death or hamper national interests.

The president expressed hope that inhumane wars, in which innocent people are killed and injured, would end as soon as possible.

A presidential official later said on condition of anonymity that the South Korean government had been aware in advance of Zelenskyy's disclosure of the transfer because Ukraine had informed Seoul about the plan.

But Ukraine gave only vague information without elaborating on how the transfer would be represented, the official said, adding that Lee expressed regret that Ukraine did not stick to its previous agreement to keep the transfer process secret.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 after being deployed to Russia's Kursk region along with thousands of other North Korean troops in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine.

李在明总统在墨西哥城表示，乌克兰违反了保密协议，泄露了向韩国移交两名朝鲜战俘的消息。他指出，这一泄露可能引发诸多问题，影响外交、国家安全以及朝鲜半岛的安全环境。李在明还强调，韩国和乌克兰此前已达成协议，对此次移交事件保密。

李表示，这个问题非常敏感，足以影响外交和国家安全，以及朝鲜半岛的安全环境。

一位总统府官员表示，韩国事先知道泽连斯基会披露这笔转账，因为乌克兰已经将该计划告知首尔。

该官员表示，乌克兰方面仅提供了有关披露的模糊信息，并未解释这笔转账将如何体现。

2025年1月，两名朝鲜士兵被部署到俄罗斯库尔斯克地区后，被乌克兰军队俘虏。

发布于2026年9月25日凌晨1点17分（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月25日下午3:25（韩国标准时间）

周二，韩国总统李在明在纽约联合国总部举行的第81届联合国大会上发表讲话。图片来源：Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

墨西哥城——韩国总统李在明周四对乌克兰向韩国移交两名朝鲜战俘表示遗憾，称此举违反了保密协议，并表示这可能会导致许多问题。

李在X账号上发帖称：“考虑到披露此事可能会造成诸多问题，不予披露在各个方面都是合适的，而且我们也同意这样做。”此前一天，乌克兰总统泽连斯基在纽约联合国大会上发表讲话称，乌克兰最近将两名朝鲜战俘送往韩国。

泽连斯基发表讲话后不久，乌克兰总统府表示，两名朝鲜囚犯被移送至韩国是通过与首尔的直接对话进行的。

李写道：“（乌克兰）违反保密协议披露了这笔转账。我不知道（披露的）原因，但我对此感到遗憾。”

李表示，这是一个非常敏感的问题，可能会对外交和国家安全以及朝鲜半岛的安全环境产生巨大影响。他还补充说，考虑到如果移交行动公开可能会引发诸多问题，韩国和乌克兰已同意秘密移交朝鲜士兵。

据报道，首尔和基辅曾就朝鲜战俘可能被转移到韩国一事进行过讨论，此前双方都表达了前往韩国的意愿。

首尔政府此前拒绝证实他们已抵达首尔，理由是这可能会危及仍在朝鲜的战俘及其家人的安全和生命。

针对韩联社的询问，乌克兰总统办公室周四表示，该国仅披露了将朝鲜人转移到韩国的消息，而没有透露所谓的详细过程，并声称将整个转移过程保密是奇怪的。

李还回应了反对党对保密协议的批评，称无论披露此次转移会对朝韩关系产生何种影响，或者是否会导致人员死亡或损害国家利益，都是“残酷和不负责任的”。

总统表示希望造成无辜民众伤亡的非人道战争能够尽快结束。

一位总统府官员后来匿名表示，韩国政府在泽连斯基披露此次移交之前就已经知道此事，因为乌克兰方面已将该计划告知首尔。

但这位官员表示，乌克兰只提供了含糊不清的信息，没有详细说明将如何进行转账，并补充说，李对乌克兰没有遵守之前关于对转账过程保密的协议表示遗憾。

2025年1月，两名朝鲜士兵被乌克兰军队俘虏。此前，他们与其他数千名朝鲜士兵一起被部署到俄罗斯库尔斯克地区，以支持莫斯科对乌克兰的战争。