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South Korean President Lee Jae-myung warned on Friday that his country would take "further measures" if Ukraine does not publicly apologize for disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea. The POWs were captured by Ukrainian forces last year while serving with North Korean troops supporting Russia in its conflict with Ukraine. Lee accused Ukraine of breaching confidentiality and called it a matter of South Korea's dignity, threatening retaliation if Kyiv refuses to acknowledge the breach and apologize officially.
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.
The POWs were captured by Ukrainian forces early last year after being deployed alongside thousands of North Korean troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine.
asserted
POWs → capture → Ukraine
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Friday that Seoul would take "further measures" if Ukraine refuses to publicly apologise over what he called its unilateral disclosure of North Korean POWs being sent to South Korea.
asserted
he → say → Korea
Seoul has taken a hard stance on Ukraine disclosing the transfer of two soldiers captured fighting for Russia, warning that their families could be targeted by Pyongyang.
North Korea is known to retaliate against defectors and their families.
Both POWs are identifiable as they had been photographed by South Korean media before their arrival to the South.
uncertain
they → take → South
The POWs were captured by Ukrainian forces early last year after being deployed alongside thousands of North Korean troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine, in exchange for economic and military assistance to Pyongyang.
asserted
POWs → capture → Pyongyang
Hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed last week the transfer in remarks at the United Nations, Lee expressed his dismay, with Seoul claiming confidentiality was key to protecting the POWs' relatives.
asserted
confidentiality → disclose → relatives
Seoul later demanded an official apology from Ukraine, saying that both sides had reached a "clear understanding" during consultations to keep the transfer confidential.
"
asserted
sides → demand → transfer
If Ukraine continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and publicly apologise, we will take further measures," the South Korean president said on Friday, accusing Kyiv of making him out to be a "liar."
asserted
him → continue → Kyiv
"This is a matter concerning the dignity of the Republic of Korea and its people and cannot be overlooked," Lee posted on X.
Analysts say that from South Korea's perspective, keeping the transfer of the POWs confidential may have partly been for Ukraine's sake, as making it public could have complicated Kyiv's own prisoner exchanges with Russia.
uncertain
it → concern → Russia
In domestic South Korean politics, however, Seoul's approach "could prove problematic," Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said given the current administration's dovish approach to the nuclear-armed North.
uncertain
Yul → prove → North
"The government has acted swiftly in this case involving Ukraine, while exercising extreme caution over the North Korean landmine incident (that injured South Korean soldiers).
asserted
that → act → soldiers
That contrast could leave the public deeply dissatisfied."
uncertain
contrast → leave → public
Diplomatic misunderstanding
Lee referred on Friday to an interview with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha published by RBC-Ukraine and other Ukrainian outlets on Thursday.
asserted
Lee → refer → Thursday
Sybiha said he would "not like to call it an incident," describing it instead as a "diplomatic misunderstanding."
"South Korea is an important country for us.
asserted
Korea → say → us
And I very much hope for momentum, continued cooperation, and concrete results that we are indeed achieving with them," he said.
asserted
he → hope → them
Seoul's spy agency said that Zelenskyy may have disclosed the transfer of the North Korean soldiers to boost public support in South Korea for Seoul providing arms to Ukraine, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.
uncertain
lawmaker → say → Wednesday
South Korea has in recent years emerged as a major arms exporter, particularly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, including through a multibillion-dollar arms deal with Poland.
asserted
Korea → emerge → Poland
But it has refrained from supplying Kyiv with lethal weapons, citing its longstanding policy of not arming countries engaged in active conflicts.
asserted
it → refrain → conflicts
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