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Ukraine's Transfer of North Korean POWs Angers South Korea
Confirmed
In Short: Ukraine's announcement of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea has angered Seoul, leading to demands for an apology and explanation.
The incident adds to a series of diplomatic mishaps that have strained Ukraine's relations with international partners, particularly South Korea, which sits on an arsenal of weapons that Ukraine seeks.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry has stepped up pressure on Ukraine, expressing strong regret over the unilateral disclosure and subsequent false denial of a nondisclosure agreement.
The transfer of the POWs to South Korea comes amid heightened tensions between North Korea and South Korea, with North Korea launching ballistic missiles and issuing threats over joint U.S.-South Korea military drills.
Ukraine's decision to send the POWs to South Korea also coincides with its ongoing efforts to secure military aid from South Korea, including air defenses to protect against Russian ballistic missiles.
The incident highlights the complex diplomatic challenges Ukraine faces as it navigates its relationships with various international partners while managing the ongoing conflict with Russia.
South Korea's stance underscores the delicate balance it must maintain between humanitarian considerations and its broader strategic interests in the region.
The transfer of the POWs to South Korea has also raised concerns among experts about the deepening ties between Russia and North Korea, which have grown considerably stronger since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The opening of a road bridge across the Russian-North Korean border in February 2022 marked an important milestone in their relations, further solidifying their cooperation amid the Ukraine war.
What this adds
The incident adds to a string of diplomatic mishaps that have strained Ukraine's relations with international partners, particularly South Korea.
The POWs were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast in January 2025, according to their interview with South Korea's Chosun Ilbo.
The incident highlights the complex diplomatic challenges Ukraine faces as it navigates its relationships with various international partners while managing the ongoing conflict with Russia.
South Korea's stance underscores the delicate balance it must maintain between humanitarian considerations and its broader strategic interests in the region.
Background
South Korea's president Lee Jae Myung says Seoul will not deploy military assets to the Strait of Hormuz, despite US pressure.
President Lee Jae Myung ruled out sending troops or military assets to the Middle East, defying pressure from Washington.
What's confirmed
- General Assembly that Ukraine ’s two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) were sent to South Korea was not well received in Seoul.
- Russia and North Korea held a ceremony on Monday marking the opening of the first road bridge across their narrow shared border, as the two Western-sanctioned countries deepen ties amid the Ukraine war.
What's still developing
- Yet Seoul has kept a tight lid on the details, previously declining to confirm whether they had arrived in South Korea, citing potential risks to their families.
- "From the whole story — and it is a long and detailed one — we only reported the fact that they had been sent to (South Korea)," Lytvyn said.
- An undisclosed South Korean presidential official told the Korea Times that Kyiv has informed Seoul of its intention — but allegedly only in vague terms, without detailing how the transfer would be presented.
- A more serious rupture appeared between Ukraine and Poland in the summer, when Zelensky granted a military unit a name in honor of the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), an underground organization that fought against Soviet rule.
- Ukraine just angered another partner — one sitting on an arsenal of weapons that Kyiv wants.
- The two were among the many thousands dispatched by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in 2024 to bolster Russian forces in the border region, making North Korea the only country to send its serving forces to fight on Moscow’s side to date.
- The POWs have reportedly expressed a desire to defect to South Korea, and the Ukrainian and South Korean leaders agreed in July to handle the matter in accordance with the captives’ wishes and humanitarian principles.
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- Left out by 2 of 3 who reported it Ukraine and experts warn it enables troop and officials movement to Russia.
- Seoul called on Kyiv to explain and apologize for making public the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war, saying Ukraine had broken an agreement to keep the move private and later denied that such an agreement existed, Reuters reported on 27 September.
- Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said Seoul "expresses strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a nondisclosure agreement," according to the Korea Herald.
- Seoul said Ukraine had requested that the transfer remain confidential, citing fears of a backlash at home for passing up a chance to trade the two soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia, though a presidential official called the handover humanitarian, not a prisoner exchange, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported.
Sources
- Reuterslink
- Kyivindependentlink
- Englishlink
- Al Jazeeralink
- Newscordlink
- Euromaidanpresslink
- Kyivpostlink
- The Guardianlink
- Macaubusinesslink
- Channelnewsasialink
- AFPlink
- WarpBeat — background on South Korea Rejects US Pressure to Join War Efforts Against Iran link
- WarpBeat — background on South Korea Rejects US Pressure to Join Iran Conflict link
- Reuters — video link