South Korea summons Ukraine envoy over disclosure of North Korean POW transfer

South Korea summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador Andrii Vieshkin after President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that Kyiv had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.

Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo expressed “strong regret” to Vieshkin over the disclosure. Seoul said the transfer was supposed to remain secret.

Transfer followed lengthy negotiations

Ukraine said it captured the two injured North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast in early 2025. After more than a year of negotiations between Kyiv and Seoul, Zelensky announced their transfer during an address to the UN General Assembly last Wednesday.

The prisoners had earlier told local media that they wanted to be sent to South Korea. Zelensky also said they had not been easy to capture alive.

Seoul says confidentiality was breached

Lee’s office said secrecy was intended partly to protect the soldiers’ families. Kyiv also wanted to avoid criticism that it had given up an opportunity to exchange the men for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

According to Seoul, Ukraine had agreed that Zelensky could mention the soldiers in his speech but not their transfer. Zelensky’s office responded that there had been no non-disclosure agreement.

South Korea demanded an apology for “announcing a falsehood” and said the episode had seriously damaged trust between the two countries. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment to the BBC.

Domestic criticism and aid to Ukraine

Lee called the disclosure “greatly disappointing” and said the transfer was a “highly sensitive issue” affecting national security. South Korea’s opposition accused him of concealing the transfer to appease Pyongyang.

Seoul has supported Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion but has maintained a policy of not providing lethal weapons to countries engaged in active wars. In July, South Korea announced a $100 million assistance package for Ukraine, expanding earlier non-lethal aid that included helmets, personal armour and medical equipment.

After North Korean troops were deployed to support Russia in 2024, Kyiv urged Seoul to provide advanced air-defence missiles. Russia warned it would have “no choice but to retaliate” if South Korea supplied Ukraine with arms.