South Korea Condemns Ukraine’s Zelensky Over Public Disclosure of North Korean Prisoner Transfer

South Korea’s presidential office has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine, escalating a diplomatic row over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public disclosure of a secret prisoner transfer involving two North Korean soldiers captured in Russia.

The confrontation centers on an arrangement regarding two North Korean combatants captured after Pyongyang deployed troops to support Russian forces during their efforts to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region across 2024 and 2025. According to Seoul, the two governments had discussed the transfer of the prisoners through multiple channels, with Kiev specifically requesting that the sensitive security arrangement remain strictly confidential.

Speaking in a statement on Sunday, Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, expressed “strong regret” over what he characterized as a unilateral violation of the confidentiality agreement by the Ukrainian government. Seong added that Seoul’s presidential office is actively reviewing unspecified “further necessary measures” following the incident.

The diplomatic rupture erupted after Zelensky publicly boasted during his address at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23 that Ukraine had recently transferred the two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. During his speech, the Ukrainian leader remarked that it was “not easy to capture them alive.”

Seoul Condemns Public Stunt as Breach of National Security

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung sharply rebuked the disclosure, arguing that the transfer of prisoners from an active theater involving North Korean combat deployments represents an exceptionally sensitive matter directly affecting security on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee accused Zelensky of prioritizing short-term political interests over national security, calling the breach of the secrecy arrangement deeply regrettable. In subsequent remarks defending Seoul’s decision to keep the operation quiet, Lee warned that individuals who jeopardize lives, national security, and broader national interests for political gain can be described as “killers or traitors.”

According to Seoul’s public relations office, Kiev had originally pushed for secrecy out of concern that publicizing the transfer could trigger domestic political backlash within Ukraine. Specifically, officials in Kiev reportedly worried about criticism for parting ways with two North Korean prisoners who might otherwise have served as bargaining chips in prisoner-of-exchange negotiations for detained Ukrainian fighters.

Kiev Denies Agreement While Political Rifts Surface

In the wake of Seoul’s condemnation, Ukrainian officials offered conflicting accounts regarding the existence of any nondisclosure pact. Dmitry Litvin, an adviser to Zelensky, insisted to reporters that “there was no agreement to remain silent.” A separate source within the Ukrainian presidential office defended the announcement by telling local media outlets that Ukrainian citizens have a fundamental right to know the fate of prisoners captured by their armed forces.

The dispute quickly reverberated inside Ukrainian political and diplomatic circles. Oksana Torop, a media adviser to Ukraine’s ambassador to Britain and former top military commander Valery Zaluzhny, publicly confirmed that a confidentiality agreement had indeed been in place. Torop criticized Zelensky’s UN General Assembly announcement, characterizing the disclosure as an “exaggerated publicity” show.

As the diplomatic standoff deepens, Seoul continues to withhold any formal authorization of further cooperation pending an official apology and explanation from Kiev.