South Korea demands a formal apology from Kyiv after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly revealed the transfer of two North Korean soldiers captured in early 2024 to Seoul during an address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The disclosure broke a bilateral confidentiality agreement, according to the South Korean presidential office.
Seoul Demands Official Explanation Over Broken Secrecy Agreement
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung condemned the UN announcement shortly after it aired on Wednesday. President Lee stated that the unilateral breach of the non-disclosure pact raised deep disappointment and affected diplomacy, national security, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
By Sunday, the diplomatic fallout intensified when Song Gi Hong, the senior public relations advisor to the South Korean president, issued a formal demand for an explanation and an apology. Song stated that the presidential office expressed deep regret over the disclosure and a subsequent false claim by Ukraine that no confidentiality agreement existed. According to Seoul, the breach seriously damages trust and bilateral relations, prompting the government to weigh necessary additional measures.
Song noted that Kyiv itself requested strict confidentiality through various communication channels during discussions about transferring the prisoners. Ukrainian officials reportedly feared domestic political criticism that the government had abandoned a chance to trade North Korean fighters for captured Ukrainians. Seoul agreed to maintain secrecy based on security, diplomatic, and humanitarian grounds, including the safety of the prisoners and their families remaining in North Korea.
Diplomatic Fallout and Diverging Accounts
The South Korean Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to Seoul on Monday to deliver a formal protest. In contrast, the Ukrainian presidential office told the South Korean news agency Yonhap that Kyiv only disclosed the fact of the prisoner transfer rather than operational details, adding that keeping the entire arrangement secret would be strange. President Zelenskyy did not reveal specifics about the handover during his UN speech, mentioning only that one of the soldiers attempted suicide before capture.
Background on the Captured Soldiers and Military Deployments
Ukrainian forces captured the two North Korean soldiers in early 2024 following the deployment of a North Korean contingent to Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops entered in August 2024. While still in Ukraine, both prisoners expressed a desire to settle in South Korea rather than return to North Korea. In June, the South Korean Foreign Ministry stated readiness to accept North Korean defectors from Ukrainian custody if they requested it, and Seoul urged Kyiv not to return them to Pyongyang to avoid severe reprisals.
South Korea considers North Korea part of its territory under its constitution and routinely accepts defectors, providing them with financial support. Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, more than 34,000 people have fled from North Korea to the south, mostly over the past three decades. Defections involving active military personnel remain exceptionally rare.
Analysts suggest President Zelenskyy highlighted the deployment to remind international partners of North Korean involvement and drum up Western aid. Conversely, Seoul worries that publicizing the transfer could anger Pyongyang and disrupt efforts to restart communications between Washington and Pyongyang. South Korea has refrained from sending direct military assistance to Ukraine, limiting its support to sanctions following the 2022 invasion, along with humanitarian and financial aid.
North Korea remains the sole foreign government to officially acknowledge sending troops to assist Russia. According to the South Korean intelligence service, Pyongyang deployed approximately 15,000 soldiers to Russia, with about 2,000 estimated killed. North Korea has also supplied artillery shells and rockets to Moscow in exchange for military and financial backing.
Background on the Russia-Ukraine War
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, falsely claiming that NATO planned to use Ukraine as a staging ground for aggression. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023 related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Prisoner Transfer
Why is South Korea demanding an apology from Ukraine?
Seoul insists that President Zelenskyy violated a bilateral confidentiality agreement by publicly disclosing the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers during the UN General Assembly.
How did the two North Korean soldiers end up in Ukrainian custody?
Ukrainian forces captured them in early 2024 after North Korea deployed troops to Russia’s Kursk region, and both men subsequently asked to relocate to South Korea.
What has been South Korea’s official diplomatic response?
The South Korean presidential office demanded a formal apology and explanation, and the Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to issue a formal protest.
How many North Korean troops are estimated to be in Russia?
The South Korean intelligence service reports that Pyongyang has sent roughly 15,000 troops to Russia to support its war effort against Ukraine.
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