South Korea has demanded an official apology and explanation from Ukraine after Kyiv publicly disclosed the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.
Seoul said Ukraine had discussed the handover through several channels and requested that it remain confidential, but later denied that any non-disclosure agreement existed.
Why South Korea is demanding an apology from Ukraine
Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential secretary for public relations, said the South Korean president’s office expressed “strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement”.
He said the disclosure had been made without sufficient prior consultation and warned that the denial had seriously damaged trust between the two governments, potentially harming bilateral relations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the transfer during an address to the United Nations General Assembly last week. He said the men had been captured while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region.
Ukraine seized large parts of Kursk in August 2024, although it has since lost most of the territory. The two North Korean soldiers were captured in January 2025 and were the first from the country to be taken alive since Pyongyang began supporting Moscow’s war effort.
Zelenskyy said one of the soldiers had tried to kill himself when he realised he was about to be captured. He also accused North Korean leader Kim Jong Un of using his troops “like currency” in return for benefits from Russia.
At the time, Mr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would hand the soldiers over to Kim if he could arrange an exchange for Ukrainian prisoners held in Russia. Human rights groups had urged Kyiv to send them to South Korea instead, citing possible punishment the men could face.
South Korean media reported that both soldiers wanted to defect to the South. Seoul had previously declined to confirm their arrival, citing concerns over their safety and the security of family members who remain in North Korea.
President Lee Jae Myung described the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war as a “highly sensitive agenda”. In a post on X, he said it was “deeply regrettable” that Ukraine had disclosed the matter in breach of the non-disclosure agreement.
“From the perspective of those who advertised the repatriation to the whole world with enthusiastic fanfare to show off their achievements – regardless of the impact on inter-Korean relations, the loss of life, or the damage to national interests – they likely not only cannot understand our government’s efforts to keep it confidential but may even wonder if there is something wrong with it,” Mr Lee wrote.
Kyiv, however, has said no secrecy agreement existed. Ukraine’s position has prompted South Korea to call for an apology as well as a full explanation of how the disclosure happened.
The dispute has also drawn criticism from South Korea’s opposition. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party questioned why the public had learned about the prisoners through Mr Zelenskyy and asked whether the government had intended to send them back to North Korea.
What will happen to the North Korean soldiers?
The two men are expected to undergo questioning and security screening before South Korean authorities decide whether to grant them protection and begin the resettlement process.
Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said it would review their cases under relevant laws and established practices, including the North Korean Defectors Protection and Settlement Support Act. The National Intelligence Service investigates applicants held in temporary protective custody.
Yu Yong-weon, an opposition lawmaker who met the soldiers in Ukraine in February 2025, said they had served in North Korea’s special forces and could provide information about Pyongyang’s training, military capabilities and involvement in the war.
