Why South Korea is demanding an apology from Ukraine over North Korean PoWs

South Korea has demanded an official apology and explanation from Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul.

Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said in a statement on Sunday that the president’s office expressed “strong regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement”.

He said Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the prisoners’ transfer with Seoul through various channels and had requested secrecy.

However, Kyiv has said no secrecy agreement existed.

Here’s what we know:

What happened?

Speaking at the annual United Nations General Assembly last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea after they were caught fighting for Russia in the Kursk region. Ukraine seized large parts of the Russian border region in August 2024 but has since lost most of the territory.

“These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realised he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself, and he was shocked that fate did not let him die,” Zelenskyy said in his speech.

He also condemned North Korea’s deployment of troops to support Moscow, saying: “This is madness too. Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? [North Korean leader] Kim Jong Un uses them like currency, and he gets something in return.”

Zelenskyy said at the time that he would hand the captured soldiers over to Kim if he could facilitate their exchange for Ukrainians held captive in Russia.

However, human rights groups had urged him to send them to South Korea, referring to possible risks of punishment that the soldiers faced.

South Korean media also reported that the two captured soldiers had wanted to defect to Seoul.

Ukraine captured the two North Koreans in January 2025.

They became the first North Korean soldiers to be captured alive since Pyongyang began in 2024 to aid Moscow’s war efforts against Ukraine. North Korea is estimated to have deployed thousands of soldiers to support Russia’s war against Ukraine as part of a mutual defence treaty.

What did South Korea say?

South Korea previously declined to confirm the soldiers’ arrival, citing concerns about their safety and that of their family members still in North Korea.

But Zelenskyy’s decision to announce the transfer surprised South Korea’s government.

In a post on X, President Lee Jae Myung said the issue of repatriating North Korean prisoners of war was a “highly sensitive agenda”.

“From the perspective of those who advertised the repatriation to the whole world with enthusiastic fanfare to show off their achievements – regardless of the impact on inter-Korean relations, the loss of life, or the damage to national interests – they likely not only cannot understand our government’s efforts to keep it confidential but may even wonder if there is something wrong with it,” Lee wrote.

“I do not know the reasons behind Ukraine’s disclosure in violation of the non-disclosure agreement, but it is deeply regrettable,” he added.

South Korea is technically still at war with North Korea because the two opponents in the 1950-1953 Korean War signed an armistice in 1953 and not a peace treaty. Thousands of US soldiers are stationed in South Korea, and the two allies hold military exercises regularly, which the North has denounced.

According to Seong’s statement on Sunday, Zelenskyy disclosed the repatriation without sufficient prior consultation and later denied that any confidentiality agreement existed.

He added that the denial had seriously damaged trust between the two governments and could harm their relations.

At the same time, opposition politicians have condemned Lee’s government for failing to disclose the transfer.

Last week, opposition politician Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party asked on social media whether it was “fair” that the Korean public learned about North Korean POWs in the country through Zelenskyy.

“President Lee, why did you hide it? Does North Korea have something that, if disclosed, would end your political career? Or were you planning to send the POWs back to North Korea?” Ahn asked.

How many North Korean soldiers are fighting in Ukraine?

According to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates, about 14,000 to 15,000 North Korean soldiers were sent to support Russia’s war efforts, and most were deployed to Russia’s Kursk region to fend off a Ukrainian incursion.

As a close Russian ally, Pyongyang has also supplied Moscow with weapons, including artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery systems and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.

What happens to the soldiers now?

The soldiers are expected to undergo questioning and security screening before South Korean authorities decide whether to grant them protection and begin resettlement.

On Monday, Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said it would review their cases under relevant laws and past practices, including the North Korean Defectors Protection and Settlement Support Act.

The ministry’s goal is to unify the two Koreas, which were partitioned shortly before the 1950-1953 war. Pyongyang opposes reunification.

Under the law, the National Intelligence Service investigates applicants in temporary protective custody,

Yu Yong-weon, an opposition lawmaker who met the soldiers in Ukraine in February 2025, said they served in North Korea’s special forces and could provide information on Pyongyang’s training, military capabilities and participation in the war.