South Korea Calls for Apology From Ukraine Over Disclosure Of North Korean PoW Switch

Sept 27 (Reuters) – South Korea’s presidential workplace demanded an official rationalization and apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of revealing the switch of two North Korean prisoners of conflict to South Korea after which falsely denying that the 2 sides had agreed to maintain the transfer confidential.

“The presidential workplace expresses robust remorse over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure settlement,” Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, mentioned in an announcement launched on Sunday.

He mentioned the federal government was reviewing further measures over the difficulty if vital.

Seong mentioned Ukraine had repeatedly mentioned the prisoners’ switch with Seoul by numerous channels and had requested secrecy, arguing that public disclosure may set off home criticism that Kyiv had given up a possibility to change the troopers for Ukrainian prisoners.

South Korea agreed to maintain the switch confidential given safety, diplomatic and humanitarian considerations, together with the protection of the prisoners and their households, he mentioned.

According to the assertion, Ukraine later disclosed the switch in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s handle to the United Nations General Assembly with out enough prior session and subsequently denied the existence of any confidentiality settlement.

Seong mentioned the denial had significantly broken belief between the 2 governments and will hurt bilateral relations.

Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul didn’t instantly reply to a Reuters request for remark.

Zelenskyy advised the United Nations General Assembly final week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean troopers to South Korea. He mentioned the lads had lately been despatched there after being captured whereas preventing for Russia within the conflict towards Ukraine.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung days earlier mentioned Ukraine had disclosed the switch in breach of a non-disclosure settlement.

In a submit on X, Lee mentioned “it was acceptable in each side to not disclose” the switch, given the potential penalties, and that the 2 sides had agreed to maintain it confidential.

“I have no idea what circumstances led the Ukrainian facet to reveal the matter regardless of the confidentiality settlement, however it’s deeply regrettable,” he wrote.

Ukraine captured the 2 North Koreans in Russia’s Kursk area in January 2025. They have been the primary North Korean troopers to be captured alive since Pyongyang entered the conflict in 2024, aiding Russia.

South Korea had beforehand declined to verify the troopers’ arrival, citing considerations for his or her security and that of members of the family nonetheless in North Korea.

Seoul and Kyiv had been discussing a doable switch after the 2 troopers expressed a need to go to South Korea, in response to an opposition lawmaker in Seoul.

The switch comes as South Korea has backed efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea, whereas U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed his willingness to have interaction with Pyongyang.

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal in Bengaluru; Editing by Jan Harvey, Alex Richardson and Bill Berkrot)