Zelensky broke confidentiality with N. Korean POWs disclosure, says South’s Lee

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed disappointment on Thursday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that Ukraine had sent two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. Lee deemed the disclosure of the prisoners' arrivals a breach of a confidentiality agreement, stating that the issue is highly sensitive and could significantly impact diplomacy, security, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Zelensky had informed the United Nations of the transfer, emphasizing that the two North Korean soldiers were not easy to capture alive. The revelation sparked criticism from South Korea's political opposition, which criticized the Lee administration for allowing a foreign leader to reveal the information.

Lee emphasized the sensitivity of the issue, saying that while there had been calls to disclose the arrivals, the decision to keep it confidential was the right choice given the potential problems that could arise from making it public. Zelensky's aide, Dmytro Lytvyn, explained that Ukraine is an open country and that it would have been strange to keep the soldiers' transfer in secret.