Seoul criticises Kyiv over disclosure of North Korean POW transfer

September 27, 2026 at 11:30 PM2 min

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South Korea's presidential office expressed strong regret over Ukraine's disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war and its denial of a nondisclosure agreement. The office said the Ukrainian denial seriously hampers bilateral trust. The criticism follows President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement of the transfer at the UN General Assembly last week.

Key Facts

South Korea's presidential office expressed strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure of the POW transfer and its denial of a nondisclosure agreement.
The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the transfer of the POWs to South Korea in an address to the UN General Assembly last week.
The South Korean presidential office said the Ukrainian denial seriously hampers bilateral trust and causes serious disruptions to bilateral friendship.

Diplomatic Dispute

South Korea's presidential office criticised Ukraine for disregarding a nondisclosure agreement in the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. Seong Ghi-hong, South Korea's senior presidential secretary for public relations, said the office expresses strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement. The office said the nondisclosure agreement aimed to safeguard the soldiers from dangers they could face if their transfer were to be disclosed, in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. The South Korean presidential office said the Ukrainian presidential office's false denial of the confidentiality agreement seriously hampers bilateral trust and causes serious disruptions to bilateral friendship. Seong Ghi-hong said the government was considering additional measures over the issue, if necessary.

POW Capture and Transfer

Ukrainian forces captured the two North Korean soldiers in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025. Mounting evidence, including from intelligence reports and testimonies of defectors, has indicated that North Korean soldiers resorted to self-detonation or other forms of suicide rather than be captured. In his UN address, Zelenskyy said, "These guys are not easy to capture alive." He added, "One of them, when he realised he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself. And he was shocked that fate did not let him die." South Korean media reported that the two captured soldiers had expressed their desire to defect to South Korea.