In brief
After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that two North Korean soldiers captured in Russia had been transferred to South Korea, Seoul demanded an apology and summoned the Ukrainian acting ambassador. Vice‑Foreign Minister Park Yoon‑joo lodged a formal complaint, saying the transfer had been kept secret by agreement. President Lee Jae‑Myung called the disclosure “greatly disappointing” and said it jeopardised national security. The spat comes amid ongoing tensions as South Korea supplies non‑lethal aid to Ukraine while weighing it’s policy on arms sales, and as Russia threatens retaliation for any escalation. Both leaders now face domestic criticism for handling the delicate issue of prisoners of war and regional security.
South Korea has summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced his government had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul. Vice‑Foreign Minister Park Yoon‑joo lodged a formal complaint with Acting Ambassador Andrii Vieshkin, expressing “strong regret” that Zelensky had revealed the secret transfer.
The two soldiers were among thousands of North Koreans who had joined Russia’s war in Ukraine, and they had previously told local media they wanted to be sent to South Korea. President Lee Jae‑Myung called the disclosure “greatly disappointing” and stressed it was a highly sensitive issue affecting national security.
Ukraine’s foreign ministry declined to comment when approached. In early 2025, Ukraine said its forces had captured the two soldiers in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, and after more than a year of negotiations the transfer was publicly announced at the UN General Assembly last Wednesday.
Seoul confirmed the news but sharply criticised Zelensky for breaking an agreement to keep the transfer confidential, originally intended to protect the soldiers’ families and prevent criticism that Kyiv had given up an opportunity to exchange them for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The spat escalated when Zelensky’s office responded that no non‑disclosure agreement existed between the two countries. Seoul demanded an apology for what it called an “announcement of a falsehood” and warned that the action had seriously damaged trust.
Lee faced heavy domestic criticism after the disclosure; opposition parties accused him of covering up the transfer to appease Pyongyang. While Seoul has been sympathetic to Ukraine since Russia’s full‑scale invasion, it maintains a long‑standing policy of not providing lethal weapons to any country engaged in active war.
Following the deployment of North Korean troops in support of Russia, Kyiv has pressured South Korea to supply advanced anti‑air missiles to help defend Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from Russian drone and missile attacks.
Senior adviser to Zelensky Mykhailo Podolyak said that South Korea’s transfer of defence technologies is not only about supporting Ukraine but about protecting its own long‑term security by containing the aggressive totalitarian axis.
In July, Seoul announced a $100 million assistance package to Ukraine, expanding earlier aid that included helmets, personal armour and medical equipment. Russia’s foreign ministry warned it would “have no choice but to retaliate” if South Korea supplied arms to Ukraine.
South Korea has long pursued cordial ties with its neighbours, balancing relations with Russia and China while maintaining strategic partnership with the United States. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Seoul has deepened trade and diplomatic ties with Moscow – an important partner in influencing Pyongyang.
