Ukraine gave notice before public disclosure of North Korean POW transfer
Ukraine informed South Korea in advance that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy might mention the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war during his UN General Assembly speech, a senior South Korean presidential official said, while maintaining that Kyiv and Seoul had previously agreed to keep the matter confidential.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed South Korea in advance that he might mention the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war during his address to the UN General Assembly, a senior South Korean official revealed. Despite claiming confidentiality, Ukraine and South Korea had allegedly agreed to keep the matter secret.
According to the Korean official, Ukraine had notified Seoul of the potential speech content, but the specifics of what Zelenskyy would say remained unclear. Seoul had explained to Kyiv that it preferred handling the situation quietly and swiftly. The public revelation by Zelenskyy, however, diverged from the prior understanding.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung criticized the disclosure as a breach of confidentiality, emphasizing the sensitivity of the matter for diplomacy, national security, and the Korean Peninsula. Ukraine refutes Seoul's account, stating that they never agreed not to disclose the transfer. Both governments hold conflicting views regarding a confidentiality arrangement regarding the transfer of the North Korean soldiers.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
