Story perspectives

South Korea Slams Zelenskyy Over POW Transfer Reveal

By Drooid · Sep 25, 2026, 12:10 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Lee Condemns Zelenskyy

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung condemned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for revealing transfer of two North Korea prisoners of war to Seoul.
Zelenskyy announced the transfer in his United Nations speech on Sept. 23, 2026.
The soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025.
Lee said Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the transfer confidential.

Summary

Lee Proposes Peace Blueprint

Lee presented a three-point blueprint for Korean Peninsula peace at the UNGA.
Lee urged the United States and North Korea to resume dialogue now.
Lee cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Kim Jong Un as an opportunity.
Lee called for phased denuclearization to build trust on the peninsula.
Seoul’s foreign ministry said it consulted Ukraine and other partners about the POW transfer, emphasizing families’ safety.

History

Historical Context

The June 12, 2018 Singapore Summit was the first meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, held at the Capella Hotel after 2017 nuclear tests and Olympic-driven de-escalation. Their joint statement pledged phased denuclearization and halted U.S.–South Korea drills, creating a diplomatic precedent that South Korean officials now invoke in renewed UN-level peace initiatives.

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Lee Condemns Zelenskyy

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung condemned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for revealing transfer of two North Korea prisoners of war to Seoul.
Zelenskyy announced the transfer in his United Nations speech on Sept. 23, 2026.
The soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025.
Lee said Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the transfer confidential.

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