South Korea expresses regret over Ukraine’s rejection of deal on North Korean POWs, Yonhap reports

SEOUL, 28 SEPTEMBER 2026 —

South Korea's presidential office expressed strong regret on Sunday over what it described as Ukraine's denial of an agreement with Seoul not to disclose the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

The diplomatic disagreement centers on the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers who had been fighting for Russian forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that Ukraine had transferred the two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, stating the men had recently been sent there after being captured while fighting for Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Following the UN address, Ukrainian media outlets reported a Ukrainian presidential source as denying the existence of a confidentiality agreement with Seoul.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung later said it was deeply regretful that Ukraine had made the transfer public, adding that the two sides had agreed not to disclose it. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and his office subsequently said Ukraine breached a nondisclosure agreement aimed at keeping the transfer a secret to safeguard the soldiers from dangers they could face if their transfer were to be disclosed, citing international law and humanitarian principles.

The presidential office expressed strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure of the transfer and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement, Yonhap quoted Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, as saying in a released statement.

The presidential office pointed in particular to the Ukrainian presidential office's false denial of the confidentiality agreement made after Lee's disclosure of the bilateral agreement, saying this seriously hampers bilateral trust and causes serious disruptions to bilateral friendship.

Seoul said the Ukrainian government had demanded confidentiality on the transfer, citing potential domestic criticism over giving up the chance to exchange the North Korean POWs for Ukrainian POWs. Seong explained that South Korea agreed to keep the transfer confidential in consideration of the safety of the POWs and their families, as well as other diplomatic and security issues, claiming that Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer without prior explanation or consultation despite the mutual agreement.

The two North Koreans were captured by Ukraine in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025. They marked the first North Korean soldiers to be captured alive since Pyongyang entered the Russia-Ukraine war in 2024.

The transfer and subsequent fallout arrive as South Korea has backed efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea, while US President Donald Trump has renewed his willingness to engage with Pyongyang. Domestically, the situation has also generated political friction within South Korea. The South Korean presidential official voiced deep regret over some domestic individuals who, the presidential secretary said, politicized the sensitive security issue in favor of Ukraine.

Seong said politicizing the issue damages national interest, calling for an end to the spread of unfounded falsehoods.

Concluding the official response to the diplomatic breach, the South Korean official added that the government was considering additional measures over the issue if necessary, Yonhap added.