South Korea has called for an official explanation and apology from Ukraine following the public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean soldiers to South Korea. The transfer, which South Korean officials intended to keep confidential, has sparked a diplomatic dispute between the two countries due to its potential impact on national security, inter-Korean relations, and the safety of the soldiers and their families.
President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea expressed criticism over the disclosure, stating that both nations had agreed to keep the details of the repatriation private. However, Ukraine denied the existence of a confidentiality agreement, leading to strained trust between Seoul and Kyiv. Ukrainian officials claimed that South Korea had been informed in advance that President Volodymyr Zelensky might mention the soldiers during his speech at the UN General Assembly.
While Ukraine only disclosed that the soldiers had been transferred to South Korea, without providing details about the timing or circumstances, South Korean officials acknowledged prior awareness of the potential mention but insisted they had requested that the soldiers’ destination remain undisclosed.
The core issue in the dispute revolves around the specifics of what information was meant to be confidential. South Korea argues that the transfer itself was to be kept secret, whereas Ukraine maintains that it did not agree to keep the fact of the transfer hidden.
The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. They were part of North Korean troops supporting Russia and later chose to travel to South Korea rather than return to North Korea.