Seoul says North Korean prisoner transfer was a secret, Kyiv says it wasn't
Seoul says Zelensky breached a confidentiality agreement by disclosing the transfer of two North Korean POWs, while Kyiv denies any pact to keep it secret.
Korean President Lee Jae Myung, left, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenskyYONHAP, AP/YONHAP
South Korea and Ukraine have become engaged in a spat over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's United Nations speech, in which the latter publicly acknowledged that Kyiv recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war (POW) to South Korea.
While Seoul argues that the transfer was confidential and dealt with quietly “for the sake of the POWs' families in North Korea," Kyiv argues that no such confidentiality agreement existed and that it would have been "strange" to keep it a secret anyway.
During his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, Zelensky said Ukraine "sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," addressing South Korea by its official name.
“These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself. And he was shocked that fate did not let him die," Zelensky said, continuing his criticism of North Korea for sending troops to fight for Russia.
The two prisoners reportedly arrived in South Korea in mid-September and are undergoing questioning under the protection of relevant government agencies
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung soon after criticized Zelensky's speech as a violation of the two countries' agreement.
"We don't know what's going on in Ukraine, but we deeply regret that they violated our confidentiality agreement," Lee wrote on X following Zelensky's speech.
Lee also seemingly took aim at critics in South Korea — particularly the country’s conservative opposition — who have questioned why the transfer was kept secret.
"The issue of North Korean POW transfers is a highly sensitive topic that affects diplomatic and security issues on the Korean Peninsula,” he wrote.
North Korean prisoners of war, surnamed Ri, left, and Baek, who were captured by Ukrainian forces after being deployed to Russia and were recently sent to South Korea.SCREEN CAPTURE
"To people who must show off their success regardless of the South-North [Korean] relationship, whether anyone dies or whether the national interest is harmed, our government's effort to keep it sealed may seem unfathomable and trivial," he continued. "There's nothing more cruel and irresponsible than this when considering the national interest, including people’s lives and national security."
Prior to Zelensky’s speech, South Korea was "told" that the Ukrainian president might mention the POW transfer "but not specifically how."
"We delivered our request that their destination to South Korea not be disclosed, and asked for their understanding," a senior government official who remained anonymous told reporters in a briefing on Thursday.
The official stressed that the transfer was humanitarian in nature rather than a prisoner exchange.
The South Korean government had repeatedly asked Ukraine through diplomatic channels not to send the prisoners to Russia or North Korea and to respect their wishes regarding where they wanted to go, according to the official.
“South Korea is not a party to the war, so this was not a prisoner exchange,” the official said. “The prisoners did not want to return to North Korea, so they were sent to South Korea on humanitarian grounds.”
Even Ukrainian officials were divided on their president’s disclosure.
Korean President Lee Jae Myung, center left, shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after taking a group photo with the leaders of the G7 and invited countries at Kananaskis, Alberta, in Canada on June 17.PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE
Oksana Torop, a media adviser to the Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, criticized Zelensky’s disclosure of the prisoner transfer as a “show” in a Facebook post Friday. Zaluzhnyi is considered a political rival of Zelensky.
“The problem is that there was a confidential agreement between the two countries,” Torop said. “A show, exaggerated publicity, a dramatic effect for a dramatic scene. Here we go again.”
Dmitro Litvin, an adviser to Zelensky, rebutted Torop in a comment on the post, saying, "There was no agreement to remain silent."
“It would also be wrong to conceal where specific prisoners are being sent," added Litvin.
Ukraine's presidential office asserts that the decision was made through direct dialogue with the South Korean government.
Presidents Lee and Zelensky discussed the issue during their summit in July. The two leaders agreed to resolve the issue while respecting the soldiers’ wishes and adhering to international law and humanitarian principles.
