Ukraine-South Korea Row Escalates Over North Korean POWs

The Ukraine South Korea row over two North Korean prisoners of war has escalated into an open diplomatic dispute, with Seoul summoning Kyiv’s top envoy and demanding an official apology. South Korea accuses Ukraine of breaking a confidentiality agreement by publicly disclosing the secret transfer of the two soldiers — captured while fighting for Russia — to the South last month. Kyiv denies any such deal ever existed, insisting Ukraine is “an open country” with no reason to keep the handover quiet.

Key facts: Ukraine South Korea row over North Korean POWs

• The soldiers: two North Korean troops captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025 — the first North Korean soldiers taken alive in the war.
• The transfer: both men arrived in South Korea in mid-September 2026 after expressing a wish to go to the South, according to Seoul’s spy agency.
• The disclosure: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the transfer in his address to the UN General Assembly last week, saying the men were “not easy to capture alive”.
• Seoul’s claim: the move was covered by a confidentiality agreement reached through several channels, including a phone call between the two countries’ foreign ministers.
• The escalation: Sept 27 — the presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology; Sept 28 — Ukraine’s acting ambassador was summoned; Sept 30 — the National Intelligence Service briefed lawmakers, backing Seoul’s account.
• Kyiv’s reply: denies any confidentiality agreement; Zelenskyy’s aide says only “the fact itself” was made public.

The UN disclosure that started it

Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, adding that they were “not easy to capture alive”. The remark — made while he was pressing for greater international support for Ukraine’s war effort — blindsided Seoul, which had treated the transfer as a strictly confidential humanitarian matter.

Hours later, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrote on X: “I do not know why the Ukrainian side broke the agreement and made the matter public, but it is very disappointing.” On Sunday, senior presidential secretary Seong Ghi-hong said the presidential office “expresses strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement.”

Seoul summons Kyiv’s envoy

On Monday, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador to demand an official explanation and apology. Seong said Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the transfer through various channels and had itself requested secrecy, arguing that publicity could trigger domestic criticism that Kyiv had given up a chance to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners.

Seoul agreed to keep the transfer confidential for security, diplomatic and humanitarian reasons — including the safety of the prisoners and their families, he said. The presidential office is now “considering additional measures that may be necessary”, and Seong warned that Kyiv’s denial had “seriously damaged trust” and could harm bilateral relations.

Kyiv denies any secrecy deal

Zelenskyy’s aide Dmytro Lytvyn played down the disclosure, telling reporters that Ukraine is “an open country” and that it would have been “unusual” to hand over the soldiers in secret. “From the entire story, which is long and detailed, we reported only the fact itself, that they were sent to the Republic of Korea,” he said.

Kyiv has not expressed regret or apologized “officially or unofficially”, according to lawmakers briefed by the NIS — a silence Seoul reads as a further breach of trust between two governments that have stood on the same side since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

Spy agency backs Seoul’s account

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told lawmakers behind closed doors on Wednesday that Ukraine had asked to keep the transfer secret from the start of the talks. The two governments agreed on confidentiality through “several channels”, including the foreign ministers’ phone call and discussions between South Korea’s embassy in Kyiv and Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, the agency said, the Korea JoongAng Daily reports.

Analysts in both countries point to a gap in expectations as the source of the dispute: Kyiv likely expected something in return for the handover, while Seoul treats it as a humanitarian matter “not tied to any other precondition or issue”.

Why the row matters

The dispute risks complicating Kyiv’s efforts to obtain weapons from allies — including South Korea — to fight off Russian bombardments. Seoul has been one of Ukraine’s key partners in Asia, and a rupture in trust comes at a delicate moment for Ukrainian diplomacy.

The episode also sets a precedent for how North Korean defectors from the Ukraine war are handled. The two soldiers are the first North Korean troops captured alive since Pyongyang entered the conflict, and their quiet resettlement in the South was meant to be a humanitarian success — not a diplomatic flashpoint.

Conclusion

What began as a discreet humanitarian transfer has become a test of trust between Seoul and Kyiv — one that now hinges on a single disputed question: was there a deal to stay silent? Until that is resolved, the Ukraine South Korea row will hang over a partnership both sides need. Follow Watan News’ world coverage for updates as the story develops.

Frequently asked questions

Who are the two North Korean POWs?

Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025 — the first North Korean troops taken alive in the war. They arrived in South Korea in mid-September 2026 after expressing a wish to go to the South, according to the National Intelligence Service.

What did Zelenskyy reveal at the UN?

In his UN General Assembly address last week, he said Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, noting they were “not easy to capture alive”. Seoul says the disclosure came without sufficient prior consultation.

Why does South Korea say there was a secrecy deal?

The presidential office says Ukraine itself requested confidentiality from the start of the talks, and the two sides agreed through several channels, including a foreign-ministers’ phone call. The NIS confirmed this account to lawmakers on September 30. Kyiv denies it.

What is Ukraine’s response?

Kyiv denies any confidentiality agreement existed. Zelenskyy’s aide Dmytro Lytvyn said Ukraine is “an open country” and that only “the fact itself” was disclosed. No apology has been offered, officially or unofficially.

Could the row affect military support for Ukraine?

Possibly. Analysts warn the dispute risks complicating Kyiv’s efforts to secure weapons from allies including South Korea, and Seoul says it is reviewing “additional measures” — though no specific steps have been announced.