Seoul demands apology after Kyiv publicizes transfer of two North Korean POWs

Tension between Seoul and Kyiv escalated after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly stated at the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean servicemen to South Korea. Seoul says the transfer was supposed to remain confidential and that Ukraine's public disclosure violated that confidentiality.

President Lee Jae-myung publicly called on Ukraine to apologize. Lee said Kyiv initially requested secrecy, then disclosed the transfer and later denied there had been an agreement, which he said made him look like "a liar." He described Ukraine's subsequent statements—framing the dispute around an imminent clash between North and South Korea—as an attempt to provoke conflict on the peninsula.

Lee warned that if Ukraine continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology, South Korea will take additional measures. He framed the matter in terms of national dignity but did not specify what punitive steps Seoul might take.

Ukrainian officials have denied that any secrecy agreement existed. Dmitry Litvin, described as an adviser to Zelensky, rejected Seoul's demand for an apology. Ukraine's foreign minister called the dispute a "diplomatic misunderstanding" and said he was working to resolve it. South Korea summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador on September 28 to press its complaint.

According to the account in Seoul and reporting that traces the case, the two North Korean servicemen were captured in January 2025 in Russia's Kursk region. That capture is connected to fighting in which North Korean troops were said to have helped repel a Ukrainian incursion.

South Korea says it agreed to the transfer under conditions of secrecy to protect multiple interests: the safety of the soldiers and their families, and sensitive diplomatic and security concerns. Seoul also cited potential domestic political fallout for Ukraine—transferring prisoners who could have been used in exchanges for captured Ukrainians—as a reason Kyiv sought confidentiality.

Wider context and potential consequences

Seoul has provided humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine since 2022 and pledged another $100 million in July, while drawing a clear line against supplying weapons. Analysts quoted in reporting suggest any South Korean response is most likely to affect assistance programs rather than military support.

The dispute follows other instances in which the Zelensky administration has clashed with countries that provide substantial support, and it comes amid signs of shifting public and political attitudes toward assistance in multiple Western countries.

Ukrainian officials say they are seeking a diplomatic fix. South Korea's warning leaves open a range of actions but no immediate, specific steps. The dispute centers on whether a confidentiality agreement existed and how its disclosure affects bilateral trust, regional security sensitivities, and Seoul's domestic and diplomatic calculations.