ED Seoul, Kyiv at odds over POWs
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine on the sidelines of the 2026 High-level Week during the 81st session of the U.N. General Assembly, Sept. 23. TASS-Yonhap
Two sides should stop blaming each other
Peaceful above the surface, as if nothing had happened, but with tensions constantly brewing underneath. Managing bilateral relations smoothly to prevent a catastrophe is the art of diplomacy.
That artistry is lacking in South Korea-Ukraine relations, causing their ties to become strained.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unexpected announcement about the status of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week.
While criticizing North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia, Zelenskyy disclosed that the two North Korean soldiers had been sent to South Korea. “These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized that he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself. And he was shocked that fate did not let him die,” the Ukrainian leader said.
His remarks came as a surprise. South Koreans knew that negotiations to bring the two men to South Korea were underway, as both had already expressed their willingness to defect to the South. But few knew that they had arrived in the country.
From a humanitarian perspective, the safe arrival of the POWs in South Korea is good news. They are more than welcome here.
But the timing and manner in which the news broke are problematic.
Zelenskyy’s unilateral announcement embarrassed the South Korean government because there had not been prior consultation with Seoul.
President Lee Jae Myung made clear his discomfort with the Ukrainian leader’s sudden disclosure, expressing regret over the remark. In a social media post, Lee wrote that the transfer of the POWs was a highly sensitive issue that, if made public, could have a significant impact on foreign policy, national security and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. For that reason, he said, the two sides had agreed to keep the matter secret.
Lee then harshly criticized opposition politicians who questioned the administration’s decision to keep the transfer confidential, calling them “murderers” and “traitors.”
In a news article shared by Lee, Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo of the People Power Party demanded that the president explain why his government had chosen to keep the transfer confidential. “The Korean public came to learn about the arrival of the POWs in South Korea through the Ukrainian president. Is this fair?” he asked. “President Lee, why did you hide it? Does North Korea have something that, if disclosed, would end your political career? Or were you planning to send the POWs back to North Korea?”
Countries and bilateral ties can turn sour for various reasons. In international relations, disagreement is normal. Even allies are not always on the same page. Each country has vital interests to protect, and bilateral ties are put to the test when those interests clash.
Nevertheless, there is a line that countries must not cross. Mutual respect is essential. When two sides reach an agreement, both should make every effort to honor their commitments. If circumstances subsequently change and an adjustment becomes necessary, the side seeking the change should first propose it to its counterpart and obtain its consent before taking action.
That step was missing in this case, putting further strain on South Korea-Ukraine relations.
It was inappropriate for Zelenskyy to disclose the news at the U.N. General Assembly without prior consultation with South Korea. His sudden announcement was diplomatically ill-advised and has potentially put the two POWs and their families in North Korea at greater risk.
But the Lee administration’s reaction is not desirable, either.
On Sunday, Cheong Wa Dae accused the Ukrainian leader of violating a nondisclosure agreement and demanded an apology from Ukraine.
Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public affairs, alleged that Ukraine had lied in denying the existence of a nondisclosure agreement. “Ukraine violated the agreement and announced the status of the POWs without prior consultation with South Korea. This is a serious violation,” he said. “Worse, however, Ukraine insisted that there is no confidentiality agreement between the two countries. Such a denial significantly undermines mutual trust between the two countries.”
Ukraine’s presidential office earlier denied the existence of the agreement, saying Kyiv “had only disclosed the existence of the transfer of the North Korean POWs without disclosing the long details of the process.”
Russia attempted to exploit the dispute between South Korea and Ukraine. Russian media reported that the South Korean president had called Zelenskyy a “murderer.” Lee, however, was quoted out of context. His criticism was directed at opposition politicians, not the Ukrainian president.
South Korea and Ukraine have nothing to gain from allowing the dispute to continue. The two sides should resolve the matter through diplomatic channels rather than turn it into a broader bilateral dispute. A blame game will do little to restore their relationship.