Seoul suspects Zelenskyy revealed N.Korean POW transfer to win arms support

Seoul's spy agency suspects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may have disclosed the transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea in an attempt to garner public support for providing weapons and aid to Ukraine, according to a lawmaker. Zelenskyy announced last week that his nation had sent the North Korean soldiers to Seoul, citing their challenging capture.

In response, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed dismay, stating that confidentiality was crucial to protecting the POWs' relatives from potential repercussions in North Korea. Seoul summoned Ukraine's ambassador in South Korea to voice serious concerns about the disclosure. Lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha suggested that Zelenskyy may have decided to reveal the transfer to generate support for Ukraine in South Korea.

Another lawmaker noted that the two POWs arrived in South Korea from Ukraine in mid-September and were in good health. The foreign ministry claimed strict confidentiality was agreed upon between Seoul and Kyiv, but there was no official agreement. The Ukrainian side had requested confidentiality due to concerns about future prisoner exchanges with Russia.

The incident could complicate Ukraine's request for defensive weapons from South Korea, which has not provided lethal aid due to a domestic ban on military assistance to countries at war.