South Korea has demanded an official apology after Ukraine disclosed a confidential transfer of two captured North Korean prisoners of war. Kyiv announced the handover at the United Nations General Assembly in violation of a prior secrecy agreement, sparking a diplomatic rift and political controversy in Seoul.
The Secret Transfer and the UN General Assembly Reveal
The Capture of North Korean Soldiers in the Kursk Region
The custody arrangement involved two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces during the war. Military units took the pair prisoner in January 2025 within Russia’s Kursk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Wednesday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the extreme difficulty of taking these troops alive during his address, stating that These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself. And he was shocked that fate did not let him die,
as he slammed the military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. Both captured soldiers were transferred to South Korea after months of negotiations, a South Korean lawmaker said on Thursday. Having encountered the pair during a 2025 trip to Ukraine and having advocated for their relocation ever since, Yoo Yong Won noted that they reached South Korea some days ago. Diplomatic Fallout and Demands for an Apology
President Lee Jae Myung Expresses Regret Over the United Nations General Assembly Disclosure
That confidentiality shattered when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had revealed the transfer during his address to the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, stating: Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea.
Expressing disappointment over the Ukrainian leader bringing up the repatriation of the two individuals publicly, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung characterized the issue as extremely delicate and critically tied to security on the Korean Peninsula.
Blaming Kyiv for making the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea public and then untruthfully denying that both nations intended to preserve secrecy, South Korea’s presidential office insisted on receiving an official explanation and apology from Ukraine.
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. Asserting that Ukraine’s later denials regarding the non-disclosure agreement were untrue, the presidential office stated on Sunday that the incident harmed mutual trust, created major friction between the two administrations, and prompted Seoul to consider further actions.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated on Sept. 24 that It was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose, considering the many problems it may cause when disclosed, and (we) had agreed to do so.
Security Risks and Background Details
Personal Safety Concerns
Behind the desire for absolute secrecy lay severe security concerns. Considering international legal standards and the personal safety of the POWs, the administration seemingly handled the transfer in secret, while a few analysts propose that authorities chose a muted approach to keep alive the prospects of North Korea-U.S. talks.
Custody of two North Korean troops sent to Russia and later captured by Ukrainian forces during the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict was recently handed over to South Korea.
Strategic Context and International Reactions
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy Announces the Transfer of Custody to Seoul
Countries in the region would have noticed North Korea’s improved ballistic missiles and Pyongyang's much greater drone capabilities,
Zelensky said during his remarks. While the immediate outcome for the two North Korean prisoners-of-war captured by Ukrainian forces is settled, the situation continues to unfold following Ukraine’s decision to hand the pair over to South Korea—an expected result given their expressed unwillingness to head back to North Korea.
After first revealing the capture of the two North Korean soldiers in January 2025, Kyiv immediately sparked discussions about the future of the pair, even though international guidelines suggested sending them back to Russia alongside other POWs. Before the capture took place, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy maintained that all detainees in Ukrainian custody would be treated identically, yet diplomatic talks and backroom negotiations ultimately paved the way for their relocation to Seoul.
