Brief

South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over North Korean POW transfer

Seoul summoned Ukraine’s senior diplomat after the Ukrainian president disclosed a covert transfer of two North Korean soldiers captured fighting for Russia.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 29 Sep 2026 10:58:04 GMT

South Korea has summoned Ukraine’s most senior diplomat in Seoul and demanded an apology after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed in a United Nations speech that Ukraine had sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea. The men, captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025, had reportedly arrived in South Korea via a third country earlier this month.

Seoul says the transfer was agreed upon in confidence between Kyiv and Seoul, with the intention of respecting the soldiers’ “free will”. However, the Ukrainian president’s disclosure was seen by Seoul as a breach of a non‑disclosure agreement, a claim that Ukraine denies. South Korea’s foreign ministry said a “clear agreement” existed, but only that the two sides had decided to handle the matter confidentially. The dispute has led to accusations that the Ukrainian president lied, with Seoul’s president Lee Jae Myung calling the disclosure “regrettable” and “false”.

North Korea has not commented on the transfer. Analysts note that the regime’s narrative around soldiers who die or are captured is tightly controlled, and the arrival of two surviving soldiers in the South is a “fatal matter” for Pyongyang. The incident comes amid heightened tensions along the Korean Demilitarised Zone, where a recent blast injured three South Korean officers, and follows South Korea’s recent court ruling ordering North Korea to pay $32.5 million for the 2020 Kaesong liaison office bombing.

Key facts

South Korea summoned Ukraine’s senior diplomat in Seoul (theguardian.com)
Two North Korean POWs captured in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025 (theguardian.com)
Ukraine’s president revealed the transfer in a UN speech (theguardian.com)
South Korea claims a non‑disclosure agreement was breached (theguardian.com)
North Korea has not commented on the transfer (theguardian.com)

Background

The dispute follows a series of diplomatic tensions between Seoul and Kyiv, including Ukraine’s 2026 pledge of a $100 million support package to Russia’s adversary and South Korea’s refusal to supply lethal arms to Ukraine. The incident also coincides with recent security incidents along the Korean DMZ, where North Korean mines are suspected to have caused explosions that injured South Korean officers.

Timeline

2025-01-01 — Ukrainian forces captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region
2026-09-28 — Ukrainian president revealed transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea
2026-09-28 — South Korea summoned Ukraine’s senior diplomat and demanded an apology

Why it matters

The incident strains diplomatic relations between South Korea and Ukraine and raises questions about the handling of POWs and confidentiality agreements in international conflicts.