South Korea seeks apology after Zelenskyy reveals North Korean POW transfer

South Korea has demanded an apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. The dispute has strained trust between the two governments and sharpened concerns over North Korea's role in the war.

In Short

• Seoul says Ukraine exposed a sensitive transfer despite an earlier confidentiality understanding
• South Korea fears retaliation against the soldiers and relatives still in North
• Kyiv denies any non-disclosure pact, deepening mistrust between the two governments

South Korea has demanded an official apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to the South, a move Seoul says was meant to remain secret. Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly last week that Ukraine had recently sent the two men to South Korea after capturing them on the Ukraine-Russia battlefield in early 2025.

The disclosure has triggered a diplomatic row between Seoul and Kyiv. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung accused Ukraine of breaking a non-disclosure agreement over the transfer, though Ukraine denied any such deal. Seoul says the issue was sensitive because of concerns over the safety of the two soldiers and their relatives in North Korea, as well as wider diplomatic and security considerations.

Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential adviser to Lee on public relations, said on Sunday that South Korea expressed "strong regret" over Ukraine's latest actions and was seeking an official apology and explanation. In a statement, he said Ukraine's "false" denial of the non-disclosure agreement was "an act that seriously undermines trust between the two governments and causes significant damage to friendly relations between the two countries".

Seong said the two sides had earlier reached the agreement because Seoul was worried about the safety of the North Korean soldiers and their families in the North, along with unspecified diplomatic and security concerns. He said Kyiv, for its part, was concerned about possible domestic criticism for giving up a chance to exchange the men for Ukrainian soldiers held in Russia. Calls to Ukraine's embassy in Seoul went unanswered on Monday.

While still in Ukraine, the two North Korean soldiers had said in media interviews that they wanted to resettle in South Korea. Seoul had urged Ukraine not to send them back to North Korea, where they could face persecution. South Korea legally views the North as part of its territory and has a policy of accepting and financially supporting North Korean defectors. More than 34,000 North Koreans have fled to the South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, mostly over the past three decades. Most were women civilians from the North's poorer northern provinces, and defections by soldiers are uncommon.

In his UN speech, Zelenskyy did not give details of the transfer, but said that "one of them, when he realised 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". Some experts say Zelenskyy may have wanted to highlight the risks of North Korea's role in the war in order to draw greater Western support. At the same time, South Korea's liberal government was concerned that news of the transfer could provoke a response from North Korea and affect efforts to restart diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington.

The dispute comes as South Korea continues to back Ukraine with humanitarian and other assistance, while joining US-led sanctions against Russia since the conflict began in 2022. But Seoul has rejected calls from Kyiv and NATO to provide direct military support, in line with its long-standing policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively involved in war. North Korea and Russia said in April 2025 that their troops had fought together to push back a Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk border region. South Korea, the United States and others have also said North Korea supplied artillery, ammunition and missiles to Russia in return for economic and military support. South Korea's intelligence agency estimated last year that North Korea had sent about 15,000 troops, of whom 2,000 were killed.

South Korea's demand for an apology over the POW transfer has added to tensions around North Korea's growing military ties with Russia and the wider diplomacy over the war in Ukraine. Seoul has said the disclosure damaged trust at a time when it is balancing support for Ukraine, concerns over North Korea and efforts to keep diplomatic channels in play.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends