South Korea’s Lee Says Ukraine Breached Secrecy Pact on North Korean POWs
publishers 8articles 8first reported 24 Sep, 08:33 UTCdeveloping since 24 Sep · 4 editions
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Ukraine breached a nondisclosure agreement by revealing that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the transfer during an address to the United Nations General Assembly, saying the soldiers had been difficult to capture alive. Ukraine detained the two men in early 2025 among North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia.
Lee wrote on X that Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the transfer confidential because of its potential effects on diplomacy, national security and conditions on the Korean Peninsula. He said he did not know why Ukraine disclosed it and expressed regret over the decision. South Korea had previously declined to confirm the soldiers’ arrival, citing possible risks to them and their families in North Korea.
A South Korean presidential official said Seoul knew in advance that Zelenskyy planned to mention the transfer, but Ukraine had provided only vague information about how it would be presented.
Zelenskyy aide Dmytro Lytvyn defended the disclosure, saying Ukraine had announced only that the soldiers were sent to South Korea, not details of the process. He said it would have been strange to conduct the handover entirely in secret.
The disclosure also drew criticism from South Korean opposition parties, which questioned why a foreign leader announced the prisoners’ arrival before Seoul did.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 7 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one (6 if wire copies count as one too); this version written 16 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
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- Given to the writer
- 7, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7 (6 if wire copies count as one)
- This version written
- 16 h after the record first saw the story
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- kept as written
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