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

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SEOUL, Sept. 30 (Yonhap) -- 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 Rep. Youn Kun-young of the ruling Democratic Party and Rep. Yoo Yeong-ha of the main opposition People Power Party.

"From the early stages of the talks, Ukraine asked that strict confidentiality be maintained, citing concerns over the potential impact on future negotiations on the exchange of POWs," Rep. Yoo told reporters after the briefing.

North Korean soldiers, who were captured by Ukrainian forces, eat food sent by a group of North Korean defectors at a prisoner-of-war camp in Ukraine on Oct. 28, 2025, in this file photo provided by Gyeoreol Unification Solidarity. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

"The NIS worked with the foreign ministry on their repatriation, and both South Korea and Ukraine held related discussions from the beginning under the shared understanding that the issue would remain confidential," he added.

The NIS said the two sides had agreed via multiple channels to keep the transfer a secret, though it did not know whether there had been such an agreement between the leaders of the two countries, according to Yoo.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed during a United Nations address last week that Ukraine had 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.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (2nd from R), accompanied by his daughter Ju-ae, inspects the test of a new combat weapon system at an unspecified location on Sept. 20, 2026, in this file photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 22. North Korea did not specify what the weapon system was but stressed the test, conducted by the General Missile Bureau, was "of significant importance for advancing weapons system technology," the KCNA said. (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

With regard to the North Korean leader's daughter Ju-ae, the NIS assessed that she is believed to be about 160 centimeters tall and to weigh more than 50 kilograms.

The agency said her status as a likely successor appears to be strengthening, with 30 public appearances so far this year, marking the highest annual figure.

The NIS also assessed there was a 50 percent chance of North Korea and the United States holding talks around the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit scheduled for November in China, saying Pyongyang will not want to miss the opportunity.

"(The NIS) analyzed that North Korea is keeping open the possibility of progress in North Korea-U.S. relations while repeatedly emphasizing its conditions for dialogue, such as recognition of its status as a nuclear weapons state and the withdrawal of hostile policy amid friendly messages from U.S. President Donald Trump," the lawmakers said.

On Kim Yo-jong's latest statement denying South Korea's assessment that a North Korean mine likely caused a recent blast inside the Demilitarized Zone, the agency said it viewed the statement as relatively "low-key," saying that Pyongyang was seeking to portray the incident as a fabrication by the South.

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, issued the statement earlier in the day, accusing Seoul of fabricating the findings and warning of "immediate and merciless" retaliation if the South opens fire on its troops.

The statement came after three South Korean soldiers were injured in two explosions south of the Military Demarcation Line last Monday.

After a joint inspection of the site with the United Nations Command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korean land mines were highly likely the cause of last week's explosion.

julesyi@yna.co.kr (END)

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

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首尔，9月30日（韩联社）——韩国情报机构周三表示，乌克兰是第一个要求将两名朝鲜战俘移交给韩国的国家，并补充说，两国从一开始就达成共识，要对移交过程保密。

据执政党共同民主党议员尹根永和主要反对党国民力量党议员柳英夏透露，韩国国家情报院（NIS）在向国会情报委员会汇报时还表示，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。

“从谈判初期，乌克兰就要求严格保密，理由是担心这可能会对未来交换战俘的谈判产生影响，”议员尤在简报会后告诉记者。

这张由“统一团结”组织提供的资料照片显示，2025年10月28日，在乌克兰的一个战俘营里，被乌克兰军队俘虏的朝鲜士兵正在食用一群朝鲜脱北者送来的食物。（照片非卖品）（韩联社）

“韩国国土安全部与外交部合作进行遣返工作，韩国和乌克兰从一开始就在保密的共识下进行了相关讨论，”他补充道。

据柳先生称，韩国国家情报院表示，双方已通过多种渠道达成协议，对此次移交保密，但情报院并不知道两国领导人之间是否达成过这样的协议。

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。

2026年9月20日，朝鲜最高领导人金正恩（右二）携女儿金珠爱视察某地点的新型作战武器系统测试。这张资料照片由朝鲜官方通讯社朝中社于9月22日发布。朝中社称，朝鲜并未具体说明该武器系统是什么，但强调此次由朝鲜导弹总局进行的测试“对推进武器系统技术具有重要意义”。（仅限韩国境内使用，禁止转载）（韩联社）

关于朝鲜领导人的女儿朱爱，国家情报院评估认为她身高约160厘米，体重超过50公斤。

该机构表示，她作为可能继任者的地位似乎正在巩固，今年迄今为止她已公开露面 30 次，创下年度最高纪录。

美国国家情报院还评估认为，朝鲜和美国有 50% 的可能性围绕定于 11 月在中国举行的亚太经济合作组织 (APEC) 峰会举行会谈，并表示平壤不会想错过这个机会。

议员们表示：“（国家情报院）分析认为，朝鲜在不断强调其对话条件（例如承认其核武器国家地位和撤回敌对政策）的同时，仍然对朝美关系取得进展的可能性持开放态度，而美国总统唐纳德·特朗普则发出了友好的信号。”

针对金与正否认韩国评估认为朝鲜地雷可能是近期非军事区内爆炸事件的起因的最新声明，该机构表示，他们认为该声明相对“低调”，并称平壤试图将该事件描绘成韩国捏造的。

朝鲜领导人金正恩的妹妹金与正当天早些时候发表声明，指责首尔捏造调查结果，并警告说，如果韩国向朝鲜军队开火，朝鲜将立即进行“无情”报复。

此前，上周一在军事分界线以南发生的两起爆炸中，三名韩国士兵受伤。

在与联合国军司令部联合视察现场后，参谋长联席会议表示，朝鲜地雷极有可能是上周爆炸的原因。

julesyi@yna.co.kr (完)

（第二份法律声明）李表示，乌克兰违反保密协议，泄露了2名朝鲜士兵的转移信息。

韩国要求朝鲜就非军事区爆炸事件道歉，并敦促停止边境防御工事建设。

韩国强调与乌克兰就朝鲜战俘移交事宜保持“清晰的理解”，不予披露。

（导语）基辅方面宣布移交朝鲜战俘，外交部召见乌克兰特使

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8月份韩国的外国人数量达到280万。

（第三项）李呼吁恢复与墨西哥的贸易协定谈判，以提升经济合作水平。

（新闻快讯）情报机构称，乌克兰最初要求对移交朝鲜战俘一事保密。