Seoul seeks official apology from Kyiv over North Korean POW transfer disclosure

South Korea has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine over Kyiv’s disclosure of the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul, accusing Ukraine of subsequently denying that the two sides had agreed to keep the move confidential.

“The presidential office expresses strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement,” Seong Ghi-hong, South Korea’s senior presidential secretary for public relations, said in a statement on September 27, Reuters reports.

Seoul is reviewing additional measures over the issue if necessary, Seong said.

According to the presidential office, Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the transfer of the two prisoners with South Korea through various channels and requested that the arrangement remain secret. Kyiv reportedly argued that public disclosure could prompt criticism at home that Ukraine had given up an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners.

South Korea agreed to the request, citing security, diplomatic and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the two North Korean soldiers and their families.

The dispute arose after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer during his address to the United Nations General Assembly last week. Seoul said the announcement was made without sufficient prior consultation.

South Korea's presidential office also accused Ukraine of subsequently denying that a confidentiality agreement had existed, saying the denial had seriously undermined trust between the two governments and could damage bilateral relations.

Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung had earlier said Ukraine had breached a non-disclosure agreement by making the transfer public. In a post on X, Lee said that keeping the move confidential had been appropriate given its potential consequences and that Seoul and Kyiv had agreed not to disclose it.

“I do not know what circumstances led the Ukrainian side to disclose the matter despite the confidentiality agreement, but it is deeply regrettable,” Lee wrote.

Zelenskyy said at the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. The men had been captured while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine, he said.

Ukraine captured the two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. They were the first North Korean troops captured alive since Pyongyang began providing military support to Russia for its war against Ukraine in 2024.

South Korea had previously declined to confirm that the soldiers had arrived in the country, citing concerns over their safety and that of relatives who remain in North Korea.

Seoul and Kyiv had discussed a possible transfer after the two soldiers expressed a desire to travel to South Korea, according to a South Korean opposition lawmaker.

The dispute comes as Seoul supports efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea, while US President Donald Trump has again expressed willingness to engage with Pyongyang.