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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned that "further action" will be taken if Ukraine does not apologize for disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. This disclosure angered Seoul, which maintains that the move was meant to remain confidential to protect the soldiers' families and avoid criticism over missed prisoner exchanges with Russia. The situation escalated when Lee accused Ukraine of attempting to provoke a conflict on the Korean Peninsula, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized it as a "diplomatic misunderstanding" and expressed hope for resolution between the two nations.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In a recent address to the United Nations General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his country had transferred two North Korean soldiers, captured while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region, to South Korea. The North Koreans were originally deployed to support Russian forces against Ukraine and were taken prisoner by Ukrainian troops in January 2023.
However, South Korea's presidential office expressed strong regret over this disclosure, accusing Ukraine of breaching a non-disclosure agreement aimed at protecting the soldiers' safety upon transfer. Seoul’s senior presidential secretary for public relations, Seong Ghi-hong, stated that the agreement was to keep details secret due to security and humanitarian concerns.
The diplomatic spat has led South Korea to demand an official apology from Ukraine, citing damage to bilateral trust and potential domestic criticism in Kyiv if the exchange had been disclosed. Meanwhile, Zelensky’s aide Dmytro Lytvyn defended the disclosure, saying it was only meant to report the fact of the transfer, not violate any agreement.
This incident risks complicating future cooperation between South Korea and Ukraine, including possible suspensions of non-lethal aid from Seoul to Kyiv. The row underscores tensions over confidentiality agreements in international military matters.
Written for “North Korean POW Transfer” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 20 other(s) covering the same event.
- Published
South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung has threatened to take unspecified "further action" if Ukraine does not issue a public apology for revealing that two North Korean prisoners of war had been sent to the South.
asserted
prisoners → publish → South
Ukraine's leader Volodymyr Zelensky made the disclosure to the UN general assembly last week, angering Seoul, who said the move was meant to stay secret.
asserted
move → make → Seoul
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday described the situation as a "diplomatic misunderstanding", adding that Kyiv was "working" to resolve it.
asserted
Kyiv → describe → it
Lee rejected this characterisation on X, saying it concerned "the dignity of the Korean people and the nation".
asserted
it → reject → people
Lee's office said last week that it was Ukraine that requested for the move to be kept secret, partly to protect the North Koreans' families, and also because Kyiv wanted to avoid criticism that it had given up an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
asserted
it → say → war
Zelensky's office responded, saying the two countries had no such agreement to keep the move confidential, further escalating the situation.
asserted
countries → respond → situation
Lee himself faced heavy criticism at home after Zelensky's disclosure, with the South Korean opposition accusing him of covering up the transfer to appease Pyongyang.
asserted
opposition → face → Pyongyang
The two soldiers, who were among thousands of North Koreans supporting Russia in the Ukraine war, had earlier told local media they wanted to be sent to South Korea.
asserted
they → support → Korea
Speaking to Ukrainian media on Thursday, Sybiha, the foreign minister, said he "hopes that this situation will be resolved in the very near future".
asserted
situation → speak → future
"We are working on it.
asserted
We → work → it
And I really hope for momentum, continuation, and concrete results that we are truly achieving with them," he said.
asserted
he → hope → them
Lee, in response, accused Kyiv of "attempting to provoke a war on the Korean Peninsula".
asserted
Lee → accuse → Peninsula
"We express serious regret that, instead of acknowledging the facts of the agreement and apologising, they are talking about an imminent military clash between the North and South," he said in an X post.
Seoul has been sympathetic to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, but has adhered to its longstanding policy of not providing lethal weapons to any country engaged in active war.
asserted
Seoul → express → war
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