South Korean President Lee threatens action over Ukraine’s transfer of North Korean POWs

Lee said South Korea will take further steps if Kyiv does not acknowledge a confidentiality agreement and apologise for the secret transfer.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 02 Oct 2026 18:00:26 GMT

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned Ukraine on Friday that Seoul would take "additional measures" unless Kyiv acknowledges a confidentiality agreement covering the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers and issues a public apology, Reuters reported.

What happened

Two North Korean soldiers, captured while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region in January 2025, were transferred to South Korea after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the move at a United Nations General Assembly speech last week. Seoul says the transfer breached a non‑disclosure agreement and that its national "dignity" is at stake. Lee posted on X that refusal to acknowledge the facts and apologise would trigger further action.

What the reports add

The Independent noted that Ukraine has tried to downplay the dispute as a "diplomatic misunderstanding" while Zelensky said South Korea had vowed to "escalate" the row. The outlet also mentioned that Lee’s statement came after Ukrainian remarks about a possible military clash on the Korean peninsula, which Lee called "grave regret" and an encouragement of war. Reuters, cited by the New York Post, provided the specific wording of Lee’s threat and highlighted his reference to a confidentiality agreement.

What was said

Lee Jae Myung said, "If the refusal to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology continues, we will take additional measures," according to Reuters via the New York Post. He also expressed "grave regret" over Ukrainian comments suggesting an imminent clash between North and South Korea, describing them as encouraging war on the peninsula.

How it came about

The dispute follows Ukraine’s public revelation of the POW transfer, which Seoul condemned as a breach of a secret pact. Felo News previously reported on the diplomatic tension in a September 29 article (south-korea-ukraine-pow-dispute), noting that South Korea had summoned Ukraine’s senior diplomat after the UN disclosure. Earlier, on September 30, Felo covered a separate South‑Korea‑North‑Korea tension over alleged mine‑laying (north-korea-mine-denial-south-korea-apology-demand), illustrating the broader context of Seoul’s sensitivity to perceived breaches of agreements with its northern neighbour.

Key facts

President Lee Jae Myung warned Ukraine of further measures unless it acknowledges a confidentiality agreement and apologises for the transfer of two North Korean POWs. (nypost.com)
The two North Korean soldiers were captured fighting for Russia in the Kursk region in January 2025 and were transferred to South Korea after Zelensky disclosed the move at the UN. (independent.co.uk)
South Korea says the transfer breaches a non‑disclosure agreement and threatens its national dignity. (independent.co.uk)

Timeline

2026-09-29 — South Korea summoned Ukraine’s senior diplomat after the UN disclosure of the POW transfer.
2026-09-30 — Seoul demanded an apology from North Korea over alleged mine‑laying, highlighting heightened sensitivities to breaches of agreements.
2026-10-02 — President Lee threatened unspecified measures against Ukraine over the POW transfer.