Full Breakdown
South Korea-Ukraine Diplomatic Row Over Transfer of Two North Korean POWs
By Drooid · · How we work
Transfer of North Korean POWs Sparks Diplomatic Row
In January 2025 Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in the Kursk region. After they expressed a desire to resettle in the South, Seoul and Kyiv arranged a confidential transfer. On September 23, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at the United Nations General Assembly that the two prisoners had been sent to South Korea. South Korea’s government summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires, Andrii Vieshkin, demanding an official apology and describing the disclosure as a breach of a “non-disclosure agreement.”
Background to the Transfer
North Korea began deploying troops to support Moscow in 2024, sending an estimated 15,000 soldiers, according to South Korean intelligence. The two captured soldiers were the first North Korean POWs Ukraine announced it had taken alive. South Korean law treats North Koreans as its own citizens and provides resettlement support; more than 34,000 North Koreans have fled to the South since the Korean War. Seoul had previously indicated it would accept any North Korean POWs wishing to defect.
Key Figures
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy – President of Ukraine, announced the transfer at the UN.
- Lee Jae Myung – President of South Korea, condemned the disclosure as “greatly disappointing.”
- Park Yoon-joo – Vice-foreign minister of South Korea, lodged the formal protest.
- Seong Ghi-hong – Senior presidential secretary for public relations, demanded an apology.
- Mykhailo Podolyak – Senior adviser to Zelenskyy, commented on security implications.
Official Statements & Responses
South Korea’s foreign ministry said the two governments had “decided to handle it confidentially” and that the disclosure endangered the soldiers’ families in the North. Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not respond to requests for comment. Zelenskyy’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn argued that Ukraine is an “open country” and that secrecy around the transfer was unusual.
Criticism & Opposition
Democratic-party lawmaker Kim Byung-joo argued there is “no reason or need” for South Korea to support Ukraine and urged an immediate review of aid, reflecting domestic criticism of Lee’s handling of the dispute.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Existence of a confidentiality agreement: South Korean officials assert a clear agreement to keep the transfer secret. Ukrainian officials, including the presidential press office, deny any such pact, describing the claim as “false.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “When North Korea actively participates in a war in Europe, South Korea cannot remain a distant observer,” — Mykhailo Podolyak, senior adviser to Zelenskyy
Implications for Bilateral Relations
The row has strained the relationship that saw South Korea provide a $100 million non-lethal assistance package to Ukraine in July 2026 and refrain from supplying lethal weapons. Analysts note the dispute may complicate Kyiv’s requests for defensive arms, while Seoul worries that publicizing the transfer could provoke retaliation from Pyongyang or affect its security posture on the Korean Peninsula. The episode underscores the delicate balance South Korea seeks between supporting Ukraine and managing regional security concerns.