Seoul demands apology after Zelenskyy unilaterally reveals North Korean prisoners of war transfer

South Korea has demanded an official apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, which Seoul says was supposed to remain confidential.

Zelenskyy revealed the transfer in a speech to the UN General Assembly last week, saying Ukraine had recently sent the two men to South Korea after they were captured on a battlefield in Russia's Kursk region in early 2025. They were among thousands of North Korean troops sent to support Russia's war against Ukraine.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung accused Ukraine of violating an agreement to keep the transfer confidential. Ukraine denied that such an agreement existed.

On Sunday, Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential adviser to Lee on public relations, expressed "strong regret" over Ukraine's disclosure and called for an official apology and explanation.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Monday summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Vieshkin to protest what it described as Kyiv's "unilateral disclosure" of the transfer and its denial that the two countries had agreed to keep the matter confidential.

Vieshkin said he would convey Seoul's position to his government, the ministry said. Ukraine's Embassy in Seoul did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Seong said Ukraine's denial of the confidentiality agreement was "an act that seriously undermines trust between the two governments and causes significant damage to friendly relations between the two countries."

He said the agreement had been reached because Seoul was concerned about the safety of the North Korean soldiers and their relatives in North Korea, while Kyiv was concerned about possible domestic criticism over giving up an opportunity to exchange the prisoners for Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia.

North Korean POWs wanted to resettle in South Korea

While in Ukraine, the two soldiers said in media interviews that they wanted to settle in South Korea.

Seoul had urged Ukraine not to return them to North Korea, where they could face persecution. South Korea considers North Koreans eligible for citizenship under its constitution and has a policy of accepting and supporting North Korean defectors.

More than 34,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War, most of them over the past three decades. Defections by North Korean soldiers are uncommon.

In his UN speech, Zelenskyy did not provide details of the transfer but described the circumstances surrounding the capture of the two soldiers.

The disclosure has also raised concerns in Seoul that publicising the transfer could provoke a reaction from Pyongyang and complicate efforts to revive diplomacy involving North Korea.

South Korea has refused direct military support to Ukraine

South Korea has provided humanitarian assistance and other support to Ukraine while joining US-led economic sanctions against Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022.

However, Seoul has resisted calls from Kyiv and NATO to provide direct military support, maintaining a longstanding policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively engaged in conflict.

North Korea and Russia confirmed in April 2025 that North Korean troops had fought alongside Russian forces to repel a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk region. South Korea, the United States and other countries say North Korea has also supplied artillery, ammunition and missiles to Russia in exchange for economic and military assistance.

South Korea's intelligence service estimated last year that North Korea had sent about 15,000 troops to Russia and that 2,000 had been killed.

The expanding military cooperation between North Korea and Russia has raised concerns in Seoul and Washington over possible transfers of military technology and other support to Pyongyang.