South Korea is seeking an official explanation and apology from Ukraine following the public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean soldiers to South Korea. The South Korean government had intended to keep the transfer confidential due to its potential impact on national security, inter-Korean relations, and the safety of the soldiers and their families.
President Lee Jae-myung expressed his disapproval of the disclosure, emphasizing that a mutual agreement had been reached with Ukraine to keep the details of the repatriation private. The situation has strained relations between the two nations, as Ukraine has denied the existence of a confidentiality agreement.
Ukraine has countered South Korea’s claims, stating that South Korean officials were informed in advance that President Volodymyr Zelensky might mention the soldiers during his address at the UN General Assembly. Kyiv clarified that only the fact of the soldiers’ transfer to South Korea was disclosed, without any specifics on timing or circumstances. Despite acknowledging prior notification, South Korean officials maintain that they had requested the soldiers’ destination remain undisclosed.
The core of the dispute revolves around what information was meant to be confidential. While South Korea argues that the entire transfer arrangement was covered by the confidentiality understanding, Ukraine insists that it did not agree to hide the transfer itself.
The two North Korean soldiers in question were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. They had been deployed with North Korean troops supporting Russia and later expressed a preference to be relocated to South Korea rather than return to North Korea.