Why South Korea lashes out at Ukraine over two North Korean POWs
Seoul is demanding an apology after Kyiv publicly disclosed that it handled two North Korean prisoners of war who fought alongside Russian forces against Ukraine. What is behind the diplomatic rift?
The dispute erupted after president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the handover while speaking at the UN General Assembly last week.
«Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea,» he told the audience.
On 27 September, the South Korean presidential office demanded an explanation and apology, accusing Ukraine of breaching confidentiality and then falsely denying the arrangement.
Ukrainian forces reportedly captured the North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025, shortly after Pyongyang deployed troops to the Russian strategic rear. The men subsequently expressed a wish to go to South Korea, according to The Korea Times.
The backstory: North Korea backs Russia’s war in Ukraine
Why South Korea wanted secrecy
Seoul cites the safety of the prisoners and their families back in North Korea, as well as diplomatic and security concerns. Receiving soldiers from a hostile neighbour is sensitive enough; publicly confirming their defection raises concerns for relatives who remain in North Korea.
According to Yonhap, quoting the presidential statement, South Korea agreed to confidentiality partly to protect those families. The statement describes a risk, however, and does not establish that any retaliation has occurred.
South Korea claimed Ukraine requested secrecy because it could face criticism for passing up an opportunity to exchange North Koreans for Ukrainian captives held by Russia.
That is South Korea’s version of the negotiations, which Ukraine contests.
For his part, president Lee Jae-myung has been attempting to restart talks with Pyongyang. The South Korean opposition accuses him of suppressing information about the transfer to avoid upsetting the North; his office claims that critics are politicising a sensitive security issue.
Read more: South Korea’s Lee pushes to end 73-year Korean War limbo
What does Ukraine say?
A Ukrainian presidential source told RBC-Ukraine that Ukraine had made no promise to conceal the transfer and argued that Ukrainians had a right to know what was happening to prisoners. The source said sensitive operational details remained undisclosed.
Presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn also publicly denied a silence agreement, according to The Korea Times.
Read more: North Korea cements split from South and formalises nuclear stance in constitution
For Seoul, Ukraine’s denial has exacerbated the conflict by challenging the president’s account and undermining trust. Its office says additional measures are being considered but does not specify what they would entail.
