South Korea Criticizes Ukraine Over North Korean POW Disclosure Dispute
- South Korea’s presidential office expressed strong regret on September 27, 2026, over Ukraine’s disclosure of a classified prisoner transfer involving two North Korean soldiers.
- The South Korean presidential office criticized Ukraine for disregarding the nondisclosure agreement, which Seoul stated was designed to protect the soldiers from dangers they could face if their...
- The two North Korean soldiers at the center of the dispute were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025.
South Korea’s presidential office expressed strong regret on September 27, 2026, over Ukraine’s disclosure of a classified prisoner transfer involving two North Korean soldiers. The diplomatic friction arose after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly announced the transfer during an address to the United Nations General Assembly, breaking a nondisclosure agreement established between Seoul and Kyiv.
Diplomatic Fallout Over Broken Confidentiality
The South Korean presidential office criticized Ukraine for disregarding the nondisclosure agreement, which Seoul stated was designed to protect the soldiers from dangers they could face if their transfer were to be disclosed. Seong Ghi-hong, South Korea’s senior presidential secretary for public relations, issued a statement on September 27, 2026, condemning what he termed a unilateral disclosure and a subsequent false announcement by the Ukrainian presidential office denying the existence of the confidentiality agreement. According to Yonhap news reports, the Ukrainian presidential office defended its disclosure by arguing that it shared the news without extensive details and that keeping the entire operation secret would have been unusual. Ukrainian media sources cited an official presidential source who denied that any confidentiality agreement had been signed with Seoul. The South Korean government countered that the denial seriously damages bilateral trust and harms ongoing bilateral friendship. Seong Ghi-hong added that Seoul is actively considering additional measures to address the diplomatic breach if necessary.
Capture and Defection of North Korean Soldiers
The two North Korean soldiers at the center of the dispute were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. Intelligence reports and defector testimonies indicate that North Korean troops deployed to the region have frequently resorted to self-detonation or suicide rather than allow themselves to be captured. During his United Nations General Assembly address, President Zelenskyy noted the difficulty of capturing these combatants alive, citing an instance where a soldier attempted to take his own life upon realizing he was being taken prisoner. South Korean media reported that both captured men explicitly expressed a desire to defect to South Korea. The framework for handling these prisoners was established earlier in the year. The issue was a primary focus at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where South Korean President Lee Jae Myung met with Zelenskyy in July. Senior presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung confirmed that both leaders agreed to resolve the status of North Korean prisoners of war in accordance with international law. That agreement built upon prior discussions held during a March meeting between the foreign ministers of South Korea and Ukraine.
Broader Military Deployment in the Kursk Region
South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea has deployed approximately 14,000 to 15,000 soldiers to support Russian military operations in the war against Ukraine since 2024. These forces have been concentrated primarily along the Kursk border region. Intelligence assessments from South Korean, Ukrainian, and Western officials indicate that the deployed North Korean units have suffered heavy casualties, with more than 6,000 soldiers killed in the fighting. The latest prisoner transfer occurs as South Korea pursues renewed diplomatic dialogue with North Korea, while United States President Donald Trump has expressed a continued willingness to engage with Pyongyang.