South Korea and Ukraine Face Diplomatic Friction Over North Korean POW Transfer

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the 81st United Nations General Assembly, on September 22, 2026 in New York City [File: AFP]

The South Korean president’s office has expressed “strong regret” over Ukraine’s disregard for a nondisclosure agreement with Seoul regarding the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul, according to South Korean media reports.

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that his country had transferred two North Korean POWs to South Korea. President Lee Jae Myung’s office “expresses strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure [of the transfer] and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement,” the Yonhap news agency quoted Seong Ghi-hong, South Korea’s senior presidential secretary for public relations, as saying in a statement on Sunday.

The presidential office explained that the nondisclosure agreement was designed to protect the soldiers from potential dangers associated with the public disclosure of their transfer, in adherence to international law and humanitarian principles.

Yonhap reported that the Ukrainian presidential office claimed it disclosed the POW transfer without extensive process details because keeping the entire operation secret would have been unusual. Ukrainian media outlets also cited a Ukrainian presidential source denying the existence of any confidentiality agreement with Seoul.

In response, the South Korean presidential office stated that Ukraine’s “false” denial of the confidentiality agreement “seriously hampers” bilateral trust and disrupts bilateral friendship. Seong Ghi-hong added that the government was considering taking additional measures if necessary.

Ukrainian forces captured the two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. Evidence, including intelligence reports and defector testimonies, has shown that North Korean soldiers frequently resort to self-detonation or other forms of suicide to avoid capture. During his UN address, Zelenskyy remarked, “These guys are not easy to capture alive,” noting that one attempted suicide upon realizing he was being taken prisoner.

South Korean media reported that the two captured soldiers expressed a clear desire to defect to South Korea. The issue of North Korean prisoners of war served as a major topic during the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkiye, where President Lee met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in July. Senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated that both leaders agreed to resolve the POW status in accordance with international law, following a similar pledge made during the South Korea-Ukraine foreign ministers’ meeting in March.

According to South Korean intelligence, North Korea has deployed approximately 14,000 to 15,000 soldiers to support Russian forces in the war against Ukraine since 2024, primarily stationed in the Kursk border region. South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western officials reported that these troops have suffered heavy casualties, with over 6,000 North Korean soldiers killed in action.

This transfer occurs as South Korea supports renewed dialogue efforts with North Korea, while United States President Donald Trump has expressed renewed willingness to engage with Pyongyang.