Seoul demands apology from Kyiv for disclosing information about the transfer of DPRK prisoners of war to South Korea

The South Korean presidential administration has demanded official explanations and an apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of disclosing information about the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, and then denying a confidentiality agreement for this step, writes the BBC.

"The Presidential Administration expresses deep regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure of information and its subsequent false statement that no non-disclosure agreement existed," said Sung Ki-hong, Senior Secretary to the President for Public Relations, in a statement published on Sunday.

He added that the government is considering taking additional measures in connection with this situation, if necessary.

According to him, Kyiv repeatedly discussed the issue of prisoner transfer with Seoul through various channels and insisted on confidentiality, arguing that public disclosure could provoke criticism in Ukraine due to the missed opportunity to exchange North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners.

South Korea agreed to keep the transfer secret, considering, as stated by the country's presidential representative, security considerations, diplomatic and humanitarian aspects, including the safety of the prisoners themselves and their families.

According to the statement, Ukraine disclosed information about the transfer during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech at the UN General Assembly without prior consultations of sufficient scope, and then denied the existence of any confidentiality agreement.

Seoul warned that what happened caused serious damage to trust between the two governments and could negatively affect bilateral relations.

On Wednesday, speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine had recently transferred two North Korean servicemen, captured in the Kursk region, to South Korea. The Ukrainian president reported their capture in January 2025.

North Korea sent thousands of troops to support Russia in the war against Ukraine after the Ukrainian invasion of the Kursk region.

On Thursday, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung sharply criticized the disclosure of information about the transfer of prisoners of war.

"The issue of repatriating North Korean prisoners is very delicate and has serious consequences for diplomacy, national security, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula," he wrote on the social network X. According to him, those who decided to make this fact public "for self-promotion" did not take into account "the state of inter-Korean relations," "human casualties," and "damage to national interests," which "even raises suspicions."

At the same time, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Kyiv had informed Seoul in advance that Zelenskyy would mention two North Korean prisoners of war in his address to the UN General Assembly, despite a prior agreement not to do so.

"The Ukrainian side informed us in advance and asked for our understanding," the publication quoted a South Korean presidential administration official as saying.

"Through diplomatic channels, we were aware of the possibility that information about the repatriation of North Korean prisoners might be included in the speech," he told reporters. "However, it was unclear in what exact wording it would be presented."

"We reached a mutual understanding with Ukraine that this process would be confidential, without public disclosure," the official emphasized.

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