South Korea demands Ukraine apology over North Korean POW disclosure

South Korea has demanded an official apology and explanation from Ukraine after Kyiv publicly disclosed the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.

Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential secretary for public relations, said Seoul was deeply concerned by what it described as Ukraine's unilateral disclosure of the transfer and its subsequent denial that the two governments had agreed to keep the matter confidential.

According to Seong, Ukrainian officials had discussed the transfer with South Korea through several channels and had asked Seoul to maintain secrecy over the soldiers' arrival. Ukraine, however, has disputed the existence of any formal non-disclosure agreement.

The dispute followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement at the United Nations General Assembly that two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia had been transferred to South Korea.

How the soldiers were captured

Zelenskyy said the two North Koreans were captured after being wounded or otherwise incapacitated while fighting Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region.

Ukraine captured the soldiers in January 2025, making them the first known North Korean troops captured alive after Pyongyang began sending forces to support Russia's war against Ukraine.

Zelenskyy said the soldiers had been difficult to capture and described one as having attempted to take his own life rather than be taken prisoner.

He also criticised North Korea's decision to deploy troops to support Russia, arguing that North Korean soldiers were being sent to fight and die in a war that did not directly concern them.

Zelenskyy had previously indicated that Ukraine could potentially return the soldiers to North Korea if Pyongyang facilitated an exchange for Ukrainian prisoners held by Russia.

Human rights organisations, however, had urged Ukraine to consider transferring the soldiers to South Korea because of concerns about the treatment they could face if returned to North Korea.

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

Why Seoul objected to the announcement

South Korea had previously declined to confirm that the soldiers had arrived in the country, citing security concerns involving the two men and their relatives still living in North Korea.

Zelenskyy's public announcement therefore caught Seoul by surprise.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung described the issue of handling North Korean prisoners of war as highly sensitive and criticised the public disclosure of the transfer.

Lee said the circumstances surrounding the soldiers required careful consideration because of their potential impact on inter-Korean relations, national security and the safety of people connected to the prisoners.

Seong later said Ukraine had disclosed the transfer without sufficient prior consultation and subsequently denied that a confidentiality arrangement had existed. He said this had damaged trust between the two governments and could affect bilateral relations.

The issue has also generated criticism inside South Korea. Opposition lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo questioned why the South Korean public learned about the prisoners through the Ukrainian president rather than through its own government.

North Korean involvement in Russia's war

Ukrainian and South Korean assessments estimate that between 14,000 and 15,000 North Korean troops have been deployed to support Russia.

Many of those forces have reportedly operated in the Kursk region, where Russian troops have been fighting to regain territory previously seized by Ukraine.

North Korea has also provided Russia with military equipment and ammunition, including artillery and mortar rounds, ballistic missiles, long-range artillery systems and multiple-launch rocket systems, according to Ukrainian and independent assessments.

Pyongyang and Moscow have significantly strengthened their military relationship, including through a mutual defence treaty.

What happens to the two soldiers?

The two North Korean soldiers are expected to undergo questioning and security screening by South Korean authorities before decisions are made about their protection and resettlement.

South Korea's Ministry of Unification said it would assess their cases under existing legislation and established procedures, including the North Korean Defectors Protection and Settlement Support Act.

Under South Korean law, North Korean defectors are subject to investigation and assessment before receiving protection and support for resettlement.

Yu Yong-weon, an opposition lawmaker who met the two soldiers in Ukraine in February 2025, said they had served in North Korea's special forces.

He said their experiences could provide South Korean authorities with information about North Korean military training, capabilities and the country's involvement in Russia's war against Ukraine.

The dispute over their transfer has meanwhile highlighted the diplomatic and security sensitivities surrounding North Korean personnel captured while fighting alongside Russian forces.