S. Korean president regrets Ukraine’s disclosure of N. Korean POW transfer

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on September 24 that he regretted Ukraine’s public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, saying the announcement violated a confidentiality agreement between Seoul and Kyiv.

Lee made the remarks in a post on X, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer during his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Caliber.Az reports.

“[Ukraine] disclosed the transfer in breach of a non-disclosure agreement,” Lee wrote. “I don't know the reasons [for the disclosure], but I regret it.”

<국정은 국가와 국민을 위해 하는 것이지, 정권과 집권자의 이익이나 인기를 위해 해서는 안됩니다.

북한포로 국내송환 문제는 외교, 안보, 한반도 정세에 크게 영향을 미치는 매우 예민한 의제입니다.

남북관계가 어떻게 되든 누군가 죽어나가든 국익이 손상되든 게의치 않고,

성과를…

— 이재명 (@Jaemyung_Lee) September 24, 2026

The South Korean president said the issue was highly sensitive and could have significant implications for diplomacy, national security and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. He said Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the transfer confidential because of potential consequences if details became public.

Lee also defended the decision to maintain confidentiality amid criticism from opposition parties. He said it would be “cruel and irresponsible” to disclose sensitive information without considering the possible impact on inter-Korean relations, human lives and national interests.

Ukraine’s presidential office later said the transfer had been carried out through direct discussions with South Korean authorities. It defended the disclosure, saying that only the fact of the transfer had been made public and that no operational details were revealed.

“It would have been strange to keep this event a secret,” the Ukrainian side said.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 after being deployed to Russia’s Kursk region alongside thousands of other North Korean troops supporting Moscow in its war against Ukraine.

The soldiers subsequently expressed a desire to travel to South Korea, prompting discussions between Seoul and Kyiv over their transfer.

Lee concluded his remarks by expressing hope that wars in which civilians and other innocent people are killed or injured would end as soon as possible.