South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has accused Ukraine of violating a confidentiality agreement by publicly disclosing the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul. The fact was revealed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his address to the UN General Assembly, prompting strong regret and dissatisfaction from Seoul. The South Korean leader said that exposing such sensitive matters could pose a serious threat to national security, the fragile balance on the Korean Peninsula, and the fate of the prisoners and their families. Lee Jae Myung even described members of the domestic opposition who criticized the government’s confidentiality policy as “traitors,” stressing that putting national security at risk for special interests was unacceptable.
According to reports, the issue concerns two North Korean servicemen who were captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region in January 2025 and who wished to seek asylum in South Korea. Although the prisoners have already been transferred to Seoul, Kyiv’s public disclosure of the process has created a diplomatic misunderstanding between the two countries. The Office of the President of Ukraine, in turn, said that as an open and democratic country, it considered it illogical to secretly transfer prisoners of war to another state. The Russian side, meanwhile, sought to distance itself from the issue, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that he had no information about the transfer.
The diplomatic confrontation comes amid Kyiv’s efforts to obtain military and technological support from South Korea, particularly PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems and air defence equipment. Despite repeated visits by Ukrainian officials to Seoul and calls for military cooperation, the South Korean leadership has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to supply weapons to the conflict zone. Seoul has justified this cautious position by citing the need to preserve its own weapons stockpiles against possible provocations by North Korea, as well as concerns over the risk that Moscow could respond by transferring missile and nuclear technologies to Pyongyang. South Korea also enforces strict laws concerning its citizens in the war zone and says it will continue providing Ukraine with assistance only in the form of humanitarian and infrastructure support. The disclosure of the confidentiality issue has further weakened the prospects for military-technical cooperation between Kyiv and Seoul.
Giymat Mahir
