South Korea demands Ukraine apology over two North Korean POW transfers

South Korea's presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine over the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. The demand was made on Sunday by Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly announced the transfer during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on 23 September.dw.com

The dispute matters because it strains ties between two countries on the same side of the war in Ukraine, and it complicates Kyiv's efforts to obtain weapons from allies including South Korea. South Korea has so far provided only non-lethal aid to Ukraine, but Kyiv has been pressing Seoul to supply advanced air defense systems to help fight off Russian bombardment.pravda.com.ua+1

What Seoul demanded from Kyiv

Seong Ghi-hong said the presidential office expressed strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure and what he called its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement. He said the matter seriously undermined trust between the two governments and gravely damaged friendly relations between the two countries, and added that Seoul was considering additional measures without specifying what they might be.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrote on social media hours after Zelenskyy's announcement that he did not know why the Ukrainian side broke the agreement and made the matter public, calling it very disappointing. Ukraine pushed back: Dmytro Lytvyn, communications adviser to Zelenskyy, denied that Ukraine had breached an agreement with South Korea not to disclose information about the transfer.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025, among around 14,000 North Korean troops deployed to the area to help halt and push back a surprise Ukrainian incursion. Ukrainian troops reported that North Korean soldiers who were surrounded or injured preferred to die by suicide than surrender, and only two were captured.

How the two soldiers were captured

Ukrainian intelligence estimates that around 3,000 North Korean troops were killed and another 1,500 injured, with the rest still stationed on Russian territory. No North Korean troops are believed to have operated on Ukrainian territory itself. Zelenskyy said one of the two captured soldiers had tried to kill himself after realising he had been captured, which he said reflected how people are indoctrinated in North Korea.

Under Article 3 of the South Korean constitution, North Koreans are still considered citizens of the South and are permitted to live there, though South Korea under President Lee has appeared hesitant to take custody of the pair. A fake military ID found on a captured North Korean soldier in Kursk Oblast was issued in the name of a real person from the Russian Republic of Tyva.

Zelenskyy announced the transfer in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, saying the soldiers were not easy to capture alive. Last month, Zelenskyy claimed that up to 50,000 more North Korean troops could be deployed to Russia. He also addressed representatives of the 47 countries whose citizens Russia is using in its war against Ukraine.

What happens next

Seoul is considering additional measures regarding the dispute, Seong Ghi-hong said, without specifying what they might be. The row risks complicating Kyiv's efforts to obtain weapons from allies including South Korea to fight off bombardments from Russia, as both governments weigh how far the disagreement over the confidentiality agreement will go.