South Korea’s spy agency believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to generate public support in Seoul for providing Kyiv with weapons and other forms of assistance, according to South Korean lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha. The disclosure has triggered a diplomatic dispute between Seoul and Kyiv, culminating in South Korea summoning Ukraine’s envoy to express “serious concerns”.
Diplomatic Clash Over the Prisoner Transfer
The friction began when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced to the United Nations that his country had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Zelenskyy stated that the individuals were captured on the battlefield early last year and that they were “not easy to capture alive,” adding that one of them attempted suicide upon realizing he would be captured.
Hours after that address, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed dismay over the announcement. Seong Ghi-hong, Lee’s senior presidential public relations advisor, voiced “strong regret” late on Sunday, accusing Kyiv of breaching a nondisclosure agreement and demanding an official apology. On Monday, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to Seoul, Andrii Vieshkin, to lodge a formal protest against the unilateral disclosure.
While South Korean lawmakers cited the spy agency as stating that Zelenskyy leaked the transfer to sway public opinion toward arming Ukraine, Ukrainian officials have denied entering into a strict nondisclosure agreement with South Korean leaders. However, lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha noted that diplomatic officials from both nations had agreed to keep the operation confidential during working-level communications.
Security Concerns and Prisoner Backgrounds
According to lawmaker Youn Kun-young, the two North Korean prisoners arrived in South Korea in mid-September. Citing the nation’s spy agency, Youn confirmed the defectors were in generally good health with no major medical concerns and that their willingness to relocate to South Korea had been verified multiple times.
Seoul originally pushed for strict confidentiality to protect the families of the captured soldiers from facing repercussions inside North Korea. Conversely, Kyiv had proactively requested secrecy out of concern that losing the prisoners would jeopardize future prisoner-of-war exchanges with Russia. Thousands of North Korean troops have deployed alongside Russian forces to counter Ukrainian military operations, including fighting in Russia’s Kursk border region.
South Korea maintains a strict domestic policy against supplying lethal weapons to nations actively engaged in armed conflict. Although Seoul has provided humanitarian aid and joined international economic sanctions against Moscow, it has resisted requests from Kyiv and NATO to deliver direct military help.
Impact on Bilateral Relations
The public revelation risks complicating ongoing discussions regarding South Korea’s potential provision of defensive weapons to Ukraine. South Korean officials maintain that unilateral disclosures erode bilateral trust. Meanwhile, the two defectors have stated their desire to live normal lives in South Korea, where the government traditionally welcomes defectors and provides financial assistance.
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