South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over North Korean prisoners of war disclosure– www.channelnewsasia.com

According to the statement, Ukraine later disclosed the transfer in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the United Nations General Assembly without sufficient prior consultation and subsequently denied the existence of any confidentiality agreement.

Seong said the denial had seriously damaged trust between the two governments and could harm bilateral relations.

Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. He said the men had recently been sent there after being captured while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung days earlier said Ukraine had disclosed the transfer in breach of a non-disclosure agreement.

In a post on X, Lee said “it was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose” the transfer, given the potential consequences, and that the two sides had agreed to keep it confidential.

“I do not know what circumstances led the Ukrainian side to disclose the matter despite the confidentiality agreement, but it is deeply regrettable,” he wrote.

Ukraine captured the two North Koreans in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. They were the first North Korean soldiers to be captured alive since Pyongyang entered the war in 2024, assisting Russia.