Seoul says written proof of NK POW secrecy deal exists

South Korea has obtained written documents confirming a secret agreement between Seoul and Kyiv to conceal the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs), President Lee Jae Myung warned that Seoul will take additional measures if Ukraine fails to apologize for disclosing the transfer. This revelation is likely to exacerbate the diplomatic tensions between the two nations following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement of the transfer during his U.N.

General Assembly address on September 23. Kyiv has vehemently denied the existence of any confidentiality agreement, while Seoul maintains that such an agreement existed and that Ukraine violated it. A senior foreign ministry official provided a detailed account of the events on Friday, asserting that it is evident that the two countries had agreed to keep the transfer confidential.

According to the official, the Ukrainian side informed the South Korean side about Zelenskyy's planned U.N. General Assembly speech without detailing the content. In response, the South Korean side communicated via text message, expressing its expectation that Zelenskyy would not breach the agreement between the two nations regarding the secrecy of the transfer.