South Korea has demanded an official apology and explanation from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, which Seoul said was supposed to remain confidential.
Zelenskyy told the U.N. General Assembly last week that Ukraine had recently transferred the two men to South Korea after they were captured on a battlefield in the Ukraine-Russia war in early 2025. They were among thousands of North Korean troops deployed to support Russia.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement concerning the transfer. Ukraine, however, denied that such an agreement existed.
Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential adviser on public relations, expressed “strong regret” Sunday over Ukraine’s disclosure and called for an official apology and clarification.
Seong said Ukraine’s denial of the agreement was “false” and had seriously damaged trust between the two governments and their friendly relations.
According to Seong, Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the transfer confidential because South Korea was concerned about the safety of the North Korean soldiers and their families, as well as diplomatic and security considerations. Ukraine, meanwhile, was concerned that sending the prisoners to South Korea could lead to domestic criticism because it would lose a potential opportunity to exchange them for Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia.
Ukraine’s Embassy in Seoul did not respond to repeated calls seeking comment Monday.
North Korean POWs seek resettlement in South Korea
The two North Korean soldiers said in media interviews while still in Ukraine that they wanted to settle in South Korea.
Seoul had urged Ukraine not to return them to North Korea, where they could face persecution. South Korea legally considers North Korea part of its territory and has a policy of accepting North Korean defectors and providing them with financial assistance.
More than 34,000 North Koreans have settled in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War, with most arriving during the past three decades. Most defectors have been civilian women from economically disadvantaged northern parts of North Korea, while defections by soldiers are relatively rare.
Zelenskyy did not provide details about the transfer in his U.N. speech. He said one of the soldiers had attempted suicide after realizing he was about to be captured and expressed surprise that he survived.
Some analysts believe Zelenskyy disclosed the case to highlight North Korea’s involvement in the war and encourage greater Western support for Ukraine. South Korea’s government, meanwhile, has been concerned that publicizing the transfer could provoke a response from North Korea and complicate efforts to revive diplomatic engagement between Pyongyang and Washington.
Seoul maintains policy against direct military aid to Ukraine
South Korea, a major arms exporter with a well-equipped military backed by the United States, has provided humanitarian assistance and other support to Ukraine and joined US-led sanctions against Russia since the war began in 2022.
However, Seoul has rejected calls from Ukraine and NATO to provide direct military assistance, maintaining its long-standing policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively involved in armed conflicts.
North Korea and Russia confirmed in April 2025 that North Korean troops had fought alongside Russian forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region.
South Korea, the United States and other countries have also accused North Korea of supplying Russia with artillery shells, ammunition and missiles in exchange for economic and military assistance. South Korea’s intelligence service estimated last year that North Korea had deployed about 15,000 troops to Russia, with around 2,000 reportedly killed.
Closer military cooperation with Russia has helped North Korean leader Kim Jong Un resist US-led pressure while accelerating the country’s nuclear weapons program.
Last month, US President Donald Trump reduced the scale of a military exercise with South Korea in what appeared to be an effort to revive diplomacy with Kim. North Korea, however, indicated that the move was insufficient to persuade it to return to negotiations.