South Korea Demands Apology from Ukraine Over Leaked North Korean POW Transfer
A diplomatic crisis erupted between South Korea and Ukraine after Kyiv revealed a secret POW transfer, prompting Seoul to demand an apology and official explanations.
An unprecedented diplomatic crisis has erupted between South Korea and Ukraine following a covert operation to transfer two North Korean prisoners of war. The presidential office in Seoul has demanded official explanations and an apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly revealed the transfer during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, in direct violation of a strict confidentiality agreement. Seoul's anger intensified after Kyiv denied that any prior agreement existed on keeping the move confidential, leading South Korea to accuse the Ukrainian government of making false statements and damaging trust between the two nations.
Background of the Secret Transfer
According to Seoul's account, negotiations for the transfer of the two POWs were conducted in complete secrecy through various diplomatic channels, with Ukraine itself requesting that the operation be kept under wraps. Kyiv feared that disclosing the transfer would provoke severe domestic criticism regarding the Ukrainian military surrendering valuable bargaining chips for future prisoner exchanges with Russia. South Korea agreed to maintain absolute silence primarily for humanitarian and security reasons, chief among them the necessity of protecting the lives of the two men and their families, who remain vulnerable to retaliation from the North Korean regime.
Public Disclosures and Political Fallout
However, during his UN address, Zelensky chose to announce publicly that the two soldiers had been transferred to Seoul after being captured in combat. Sung Ki-hong, South Korea's senior presidential secretary for public communication, sharply criticized the move:
The presidential office expresses deep regret over the unilateral disclosure and the false statement claiming there was no confidentiality agreement. We are currently reviewing additional measures.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also expressed open displeasure, stating that keeping the transfer quiet was correct from every perspective. The two soldiers have been at the center of international attention since January 2025, when they were captured in Russia's Kursk region, becoming the first troops from Kim Jong Un's army to be taken alive since being deployed to support Moscow's war effort. This public confrontation places Seoul in a delicate position, balancing potential diplomatic overtures toward Pyongyang amid U.S. President Donald Trump's initiatives, while navigating the growing military alliance between North Korea and Russia.
