Spy agency says Ukraine first requested confidentiality over transfer of N. Korean POWs

Seoul’s spy agency said Ukraine first asked that the transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea be kept secret, and that both sides understood the transfer would remain confidential from the start. The NIS told lawmakers the two soldiers arrived in South Korea in mid-September and had no major health problems. Ukraine’s public disclosure and later denial of a nondisclosure agreement have since triggered strong concern in Seoul.

The NIS said the two North Korean soldiers arrived in South Korea in mid-September.

According to committee members, the two soldiers had no major health problems.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week at a United Nations address that Ukraine had sent the two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.

South Korea’s foreign ministry called in acting Ukrainian ambassador Andrii Vieshkin on Monday and expressed strong concern over Ukraine’s denial of the confidentiality agreement.

Published Sep 30, 2026 11:40 am KST

North Korean soldiers, who were captured by Ukrainian forces, at a prisoner-of-war camp in Ukraine / Captured from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's X

Ukraine was the first to ask the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea be kept a secret, Seoul's spy agency said Wednesday, adding the two countries had a shared understanding to keep the transfer confidential from the beginning of the transfer process.

In a briefing to the National Assembly's intelligence committee, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) also said the two North Korean soldiers arrived in South Korea in mid-September and had no major health problems, according to committee members.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed during a United Nations address last week that Ukraine has sent the two North Korean soldiers captured last year to South Korea.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his office have since said Ukraine breached a nondisclosure agreement aimed at keeping the transfer a secret to protect the soldiers from dangers they could face if their transfer were to be disclosed.

A Ukrainian presidential official was later reported to have denied the existence of a nondisclosure agreement.

The foreign ministry on Monday called in Andrii Vieshkin, acting ambassador of Ukraine to South Korea, and expressed strong concern over Ukraine's denial of the confidentiality agreement with South Korea.

首尔情报机构表示，乌克兰最初要求将两名朝鲜战俘移交给韩国一事保密，双方从一开始就理解移交过程将严格保密。韩国国家情报院（NIS）告诉议员，这两名士兵于9月中旬抵达韩国，健康状况良好。乌克兰随后公开披露并否认存在保密协议，引发首尔方面的强烈担忧。

韩国国家情报院表示，这两名朝鲜士兵于9月中旬抵达韩国。

据委员会成员称，这两名士兵没有重大健康问题。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基上周在联合国发表讲话时表示，乌克兰已将两名被俘的朝鲜士兵送往韩国。

韩国外交部周一召见了乌克兰代理大使安德烈·维什金，对乌克兰否认保密协议表示强烈关切。

发布于2026年9月30日上午11:40（韩国标准时间）

被乌克兰军队俘虏的朝鲜士兵，被关押在乌克兰的一个战俘营中 / 图片来自乌克兰总统泽连斯基的 X

首尔情报机构周三表示，乌克兰是第一个要求对两名朝鲜战俘移交给韩国一事保密的国家，并补充说，两国从一开始就达成共识，要对移交过程保密。

韩国国家情报院（NIS）在向国会情报委员会汇报时还表示，据委员会成员称，这两名朝鲜士兵于9月中旬抵达韩国，并且没有出现重大健康问题。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基上周在联合国发表讲话时透露，乌克兰已将去年俘获的两名朝鲜士兵送往韩国。

韩国总统李在明及其办公室随后表示，乌克兰违反了旨在保密此次移交的保密协议，以保护士兵免受移交信息泄露后可能面临的危险。

据报道，一名乌克兰总统官员后来否认存在保密协议。

周一，外交部召见了乌克兰驻韩国代理大使安德烈·维什金，对乌克兰否认与韩国签署保密协议表示强烈关切。