South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over disclosure of North Korean PoW transfer

South Korea's presidential office has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine following the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The Korean presidential office asserts that Ukraine released the information unilaterally and falsely denied that a non-disclosure agreement existed between the two countries.

The presidential office spokesperson Seong Ghi-hong expressed deep regret over Ukraine's disclosure and subsequent false statement regarding the non-disclosure agreement. The South Korean government is currently reviewing potential further actions in response to the incident. Ukraine had previously notified Seoul of the transfer through various channels, requesting secrecy as they feared public revelation could provoke domestic criticism over Kyiv giving up the chance to swap the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners.

The South Korean government agreed to maintain confidentiality due to security, diplomatic, and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners and their families. Ukraine later disclosed the transfer during President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's address to the United Nations General Assembly without adequate prior coordination and subsequently denied the existence of any confidentiality agreement.

This denial has significantly strained trust between the two nations and potentially damaged their bilateral relations. Ukrainian officials at the embassy in Seoul did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for further comment. In his address to the United Nations General Assembly, Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine had transferred the two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea after they were captured while fighting for Russia in Ukraine's war.

The South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had earlier criticized Ukraine for breaching the non-disclosure agreement, emphasizing that in every aspect, it was inappropriate to disclose the transfer considering the potential consequences. Both nations had been discussing the possibility of transferring the soldiers, as the two North Koreans expressed their desire to join South Korea.

The transfer comes amid South Korea's support for the resumption of dialogue with North Korea, and US President Donald Trump's renewed willingness to engage with Pyongyang.