SEOUL, South Korea — Tensions between Seoul and Kyiv have escalated after South Korea demanded a formal apology and explanation from Ukraine following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of a confidential arrangement transferring two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korean custody.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly, Zelenskyy revealed that Ukraine recently dispatched two captured North Korean troops to South Korea. The soldiers were taken captive in early 2025 while fighting alongside Russian forces in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung accused Kyiv of breaching a mutual confidentiality agreement, a pact Ukrainian officials denied ever existed.
Expressing “strong regret” over the incident, Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential adviser to Lee on public relations, urged Kyiv to issue a formal clarification and apology. Seong warned that Ukraine’s denial of the agreement damages bilateral ties.
”an act that seriously undermines trust between the two governments and causes significant damage to friendly relations between the two countries.”
Seong explained that Seoul requested secrecy to safeguard the captured troops and their families remaining in North Korea, alongside other diplomatic and security considerations. Conversely, Kyiv sought to keep the arrangement quiet to prevent domestic backlash over forfeiting prisoners who could have been exchanged for Ukrainian soldiers held by Russia. The Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul did not answer requests for comment.
While still in Ukraine, both captives expressed a desire to resettle in South Korea. South Korea, which constitutionally claims the entire peninsula and routinely offers sanctuary and financial aid to defectors, requested Ukraine not to repatriate them to North Korea, where they face severe persecution.
Over 34,000 North Koreans have resettled in the South since the 1950–53 Korean War. While most defectors are civilian women from impoverished rural regions, military defections remain exceptionally rare.
During his UN speech, Zelenskyy offered few specifics regarding the logistics of the transfer, but described the psychological state of one captive.
”one of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself and he was shocked that fate didn’t let him die. This is how they raise people in the North.”
Analysts believe Zelenskyy made the disclosure to highlight Pyongyang’s direct military involvement in Europe and rally stronger Western support. However, South Korea’s administration fears the publicity will agitate Pyongyang and derail efforts to restore diplomatic talks involving North Korea and the United States.
Though Seoul has provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine and implemented US-led sanctions against Moscow, it has strictly maintained its policy of refusing direct lethal military support to nations engaged in active conflicts.
In April 2025, Pyongyang and Moscow confirmed that North Korean forces assisted Russian troops in countering a Ukrainian offensive in Russia’s Kursk border region.
Intelligence estimates suggest North Korea sent approximately 15,000 troops to support Russia—suffering an estimated 2,000 casualties—while supplying artillery and missiles in exchange for economic and defense support.
This deepening alliance has allowed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to counter Western pressure and advance his nuclear arsenal.
Efforts to reopen diplomatic channels remain stalled, even after U.S. President Donald Trump recently scaled back joint military drills with South Korea—a move Pyongyang deemed insufficient to resume negotiations.