South Korea's presidential office has expressed "strong regret" and is demanding an official explanation and apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. South Korean officials, including Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication Sung Ki-hong, stated that Ukraine unilaterally revealed the repatriation during Zelenskyy's speech at the U.N. General Assembly, breaching a confidentiality agreement between the two nations. This disclosure has reportedly caused significant harm to friendly relations and trust between Seoul and Kyiv.
According to South Korea, the confidentiality agreement was crucial for the safety of the North Korean prisoners and their families, as well as for diplomatic and security considerations. Sung Ki-hong detailed that Ukraine had initially requested secrecy due to concerns about potential domestic criticism for not exchanging the North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners. However, after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed dismay on social media about the breach, the Ukrainian presidential office denied the existence of any nondisclosure agreement, which Seoul has labeled as a "false claim" that further damaged bilateral trust and led to domestic controversy in South Korea.
The dispute escalated following Zelenskyy's U.N. speech on September 23, where he mentioned that two North Korean POWs had recently been sent to South Korea. While Seoul did not initially confirm or deny the account, a South Korean lawmaker later indicated the prisoners had arrived a few days prior. Ukraine's communications adviser, Dmytro Lytvyn, denied on Facebook that a confidentiality agreement existed, stating that "hiding where the prisoners are being sent is wrong." Internally, there has been criticism within Ukraine as well, with one media adviser calling the disclosure "a show, or overblown publicity."
The South Korean government emphasized that the repatriation process was complex, involving multiple stages for prisoners captured by Ukraine in Russia. They are now considering "additional measures as necessary" in response to Ukraine's actions. The incident has become a political issue in South Korea, with some lawmakers questioning the government's handling of the sensitive matter and suggesting a fear of upsetting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
