South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over disclosure of North Korean POW transfer

Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

South Korea’s presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and then falsely denying that the two sides had agreed to keep the move confidential.

“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 Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said in a statement released on Sunday.

He said the government was reviewing additional measures over the issue if necessary.

Seong said Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the prisoners’ transfer with Seoul through various channels and had requested secrecy, arguing that public disclosure could trigger domestic criticism that Kyiv had given up an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners.

North Korea boosts support for Russia to include drone operators, Ukraine says

South Korea agreed to keep the transfer confidential given security, diplomatic and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners and their families, he said.

According to the statement, Ukraine later disclosed the transfer in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to the United Nations General Assembly without sufficient prior consultation and subsequently denied the existence of any confidentiality agreement.

Seong said the denial had seriously damaged trust between the two governments and could harm bilateral relations.

Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Zelensky told the United Nations General Assembly last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. He said the men had recently been sent there after being captured while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung days earlier said Ukraine had disclosed the transfer in breach of a non-disclosure agreement.

In a post on X, Lee said “it was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose” the transfer, given the potential consequences, and that the two sides had agreed to keep it confidential.

“I do not know what circumstances led the Ukrainian side to disclose the matter despite the confidentiality agreement, but it is deeply regrettable,” he 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, assisting Russia.

South Korea had previously declined to confirm the soldiers’ arrival, citing concerns for their safety and that of family members still in North Korea.

Seoul and Kyiv had been discussing a possible transfer after the two soldiers expressed a desire to go to South Korea, according to an opposition lawmaker in Seoul.

The transfer comes as South Korea has backed efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea, while US President Donald Trump has renewed his willingness to engage with Pyongyang.

爱德华多·穆尼奥斯/路透社

韩国总统府要求乌克兰做出正式解释和道歉，指责基辅方面泄露了将两名朝鲜战俘移交给韩国的消息，然后又谎称双方曾同意对此事保密。

总统府公共关系高级秘书成基洪周日发表声明称：“总统府对乌克兰单方面披露信息以及随后错误地宣布不存在保密协议表示强烈遗憾。”

他表示，如有必要，政府正在考虑就此问题采取进一步措施。

Seong表示，乌克兰曾多次通过各种渠道与首尔讨论战俘移交事宜，并要求保密，理由是公开披露可能会引发国内批评，认为基辅放弃了用士兵交换乌克兰战俘的机会。

乌克兰方面称，朝鲜加大对俄罗斯的支持力度，将无人机操作员纳入其中。

他说，考虑到安全、外交和人道主义方面的考虑，包括囚犯及其家人的安全，韩国同意对此次移交保密。

声明称，乌克兰后来在总统泽连斯基向联合国大会发表讲话时披露了这起转移事件，但事先并未进行充分磋商，随后又否认存在任何保密协议。

成表示，这一否认严重损害了两国政府之间的信任，并可能损害双边关系。

乌克兰驻首尔大使馆尚未回复路透社的置评请求。

泽连斯基上周在联合国大会上表示，乌克兰已将两名被俘的朝鲜士兵移交给韩国。他说，这两名士兵在乌克兰战争中为俄罗斯作战时被俘，最近被送往韩国。

韩国总统李在明几天前表示，乌克兰违反保密协议，泄露了这笔资金转移信息。

李在 X 上发帖称，考虑到潜在的后果，“不公开”这笔转账“在任何方面都是合适的”，而且双方也同意对此保密。

“我不知道是什么情况导致乌克兰方面违反保密协议泄露此事，但这令人深感遗憾，”他写道。

2025 年 1 月，乌克兰在俄罗斯库尔斯克地区俘获了两名朝鲜士兵。他们是自 2024 年平壤加入战争、协助俄罗斯以来，首批被活捉的朝鲜士兵。

韩国此前拒绝证实这些士兵的抵达，理由是担心他们的安全以及仍在朝鲜的家属的安全。

据首尔一位反对派议员透露，两名士兵表达了前往韩国的意愿后，首尔和基辅一直在讨论可能的调动事宜。

此次人员调动正值韩国支持恢复与朝鲜对话的努力之际，而美国总统唐纳德·特朗普也重申了与平壤接触的意愿。