South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over disclosure of North Korean PoW transfer
Seoul says the disclosure violated a confidentiality deal meant to protect the prisoners and their families, and it is reviewing further measures.
- On Sunday, South Korea's presidential office expressed "strong regret" over Ukraine's disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean POWs, alleging Ukraine violated a prior non-disclosure agreement with Seoul.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the transfer at the United Nations General Assembly last Wednesday, describing the soldiers as captured in Russia's Kursk region and noting they were "not easy to capture alive."
- Intelligence reports indicate North Korea deployed approximately 14,000 soldiers to Russia since 2024, with more than 6,000 killed; captured soldiers often attempt suicide rather than surrender, making these POWs exceptional.
- Ukrainian officials denied the existence of a confidentiality agreement, a claim the South Korean presidential office labeled "false," stating the denial "seriously hampers" bilateral trust and disrupts friendship.
- This transfer occurs while South Korea seeks to revive dialogue with North Korea, and United States President Donald Trump has expressed willingness to engage with Pyongyang, complicating the diplomatic landscape.
163 Articles
163 Articles
South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over disclosure of North Korean POWs
SEOUL —South Korea has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine for denying an agreement to keep the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul confidential.The incident came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations that his country had sent two North Korean soldiers to the South, adding they were "not easy to capture alive".Hours later, South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung said on X, "I …
Volkskrant
ROK demands apology from Ukraine over North Korean POW transfer disclosure
South Korea has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine, expressing “strong regret” after Kyiv unilaterally disclosed the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war and then claimed the two countries had never agreed to keep the matter confidential. In a statement released Sunday, the Blue House said Kyiv had violated an agreement […]
Zelensky's public statement of two North Korean prisoners had given rise to a diplomatic dispute, and he said that the military had handed over to South Korea, and in Seoul they said that they had agreed to keep the information secret, and they resented the fact that Kiev now denied the existence of such an agreement.
Aftenposten
NettavisenSouth Korea is demanding an apology from Ukraine after Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that two North Korean prisoners of war have been transferred to South Korea.
The Toronto Star
Seoul demands an apology after Zelenskyy unilaterally reveals North Korean prisoners of war transfer
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea called for an official apology from Ukraine after the Ukrainian president revealed what Seoul says was supposed to be a secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.
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