Recently, the South Korean presidential office accused Kyiv of leaking the news of transferring two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, and then mistakenly denying that there was an agreement to keep it confidential. South Korea has demanded Ukraine to provide a formal explanation and apologize for the incident.
In a statement released on September 27th, Seong Ghi-hong, the Senior Public Relations Secretary of the South Korean presidential office, expressed deep regret over Ukraine unilaterally disclosing information and subsequently falsely announcing the absence of a confidentiality agreement.
He mentioned that if necessary, the government will study more measures to address the issue. According to Seong Ghi-hong, Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the issue of transferring prisoners of war with Seoul through various channels and requested confidentiality, fearing that public disclosure could lead to domestic criticism and that Kyiv had missed the opportunity to exchange these soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Considering safety, diplomacy, and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners of war and their families, South Korea had agreed to keep the transfer confidential.
The statement indicated that Ukrainian President Zelensky disclosed the transfer during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly without prior full consultation, and subsequently denied the existence of any confidentiality agreement.
Seong Ghi-hong mentioned that this denial severely damaged the trust between the two governments and could potentially harm bilateral relations.
The Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
In January 2025, Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk region of Russia. They were the first group of North Korean soldiers captured since Pyongyang joined the war in 2024 and assisted Russia.
Last week, Zelensky stated at the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred the two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. He mentioned that these soldiers were captured while fighting for Russia during the Ukrainian war and were recently sent to South Korea.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated a few days ago that Ukraine’s disclosure of the transfer violated the confidentiality agreement.
Lee wrote on X platform on September 24th that considering the potential consequences, keeping the transfer operation “unofficial” in all aspects was appropriate, and both sides had agreed to keep it confidential. “I don’t know what led Ukraine to breach the confidentiality agreement and disclose this. It’s deeply regrettable,” he wrote.
Zelensky himself did not publicly deny the existence of a “confidentiality agreement”, but his communications advisor Dmytro Lytvyn responded to Ukrainian media on Facebook on September 25th, saying, “There is no such agreement. This is not true. And concealing the whereabouts of specific prisoners is wrong.”
Reportedly, South Korea had previously refused to confirm the arrival of these soldiers in South Korea, citing concerns for their safety and the safety of their families still in North Korea. According to a Seoul opposition member, after the two soldiers expressed their willingness to go to South Korea, Seoul and Kyiv had been discussing possible relocation procedures.