Ukraine, South Korea relations sour over North Korean POWs

South Korea has requested an official apology from Ukraine following accusations that Kyiv violated a confidentiality agreement concerning the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the transfer during a United Nations General Assembly address in New York, stating that the soldiers were difficult to capture alive.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed disappointment via social media, questioning why the Ukrainian side broke the agreement and made the matter public. Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential secretary for public relations in South Korea, demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine, expressing strong regret over the unilateral disclosure and subsequent false announcement that there had been no non-disclosure agreement.

South Korean officials view this matter as seriously undermining trust between the two governments and damaging their friendly relations. The North Korean soldiers were captured in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025, marking just two of around 14,000 North Korean troops deployed there to counter an unexpected Ukrainian advance.

Ukrainian intelligence estimates that around 3,000 North Korean troops were killed and another 1,500 wounded, with the remaining soldiers still stationed in Russia. North Korean troops have not reportedly operated on Ukrainian soil. South Korea, while an ally of Ukraine, has been hesitant to take custody of the two captured soldiers, as per Article 3 of its constitution, which considers North Koreans as its citizens, allowing them to reside in the South.