PPP lawmaker, ruling party clash over planned letter thanking Zelenskyy
Summary
Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party clashed with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea in South Korea on Saturday over her planned letter thanking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for transferring two North Korean POWs to South Korea. The DPK called the letter plan irresponsible and said confidentiality was needed to protect the POWs and their families. The dispute followed Zelenskyy’s disclosure of the transfer at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23 and Seoul’s recall of its ambassador to Ukraine.
Key Facts
- The two North Korean soldiers, identified by the surnames Ri and Paek, were captured while fighting for Russia in 2025 and transferred to South Korea at their request.
- DPK spokesperson Lee Yong-woo said Seoul sought an explanation and apology from Kyiv and assurances that the disclosure would not happen again.
- Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers that Ukraine sent a message containing words of apology, but Seoul considered it insufficient.
- South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, who arrived in Seoul on Saturday.
- Na Kyung-won called for the dismissal of the foreign minister and other diplomatic and security officials involved in the ambassador recall.
Na calls for dismissal of foreign minister, officials over ambassador recall
Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition People Power Party speaks during a special discussion session with other lawmakers from the party at the National Assembly in Seoul, Sept. 21. Yonhap
Rep. Na Kyung-won of the main opposition People Power Party clashed with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Saturday after the latter criticized her plan to send a letter thanking Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea.
On Friday, Na said she would send Zelensky a letter expressing her deep gratitude for his “magnanimous decision” to allow the two POWs, identified by their surnames Ri and Paek, to be transferred to South Korea in accordance with their wishes. The plan drew strong criticism from the ruling party.
Na hit back on Saturday, describing the ruling party's response as “absurd” and accusing DPK lawmakers of attacking her for expressing gratitude to the Ukrainian president.
"After I announced that I would send a letter of thanks to the Ukrainian president for transferring the North Korean prisoners of war, DPK lawmakers rushed to attack me one after another, like a suicide squad," she wrote on Facebook.
"Are they lawmakers of the Republic of Korea? Or are they members of the North Korean leadership? Are they lawmakers of the Workers' Party of Korea? Why do they willingly act as mouthpieces for the North Korean regime?" she added, referring to North Korea's ruling party.
The DPK rejected Na's criticism as “irresponsible incitement,” saying Ukraine had violated an agreement to keep the POW transfer confidential.
This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service, Friday (local time), shows Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy singing Ukraine's national anthem during a ceremony to present housing certificates to Heroes of Ukraine and the families of fallen soldiers awarded the title posthumously in Kyiv, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP-Yonhap
DPK spokesperson Lee Yong-woo said confidentiality was necessary to protect the POWs and their families still in North Korea.
“Stop the irresponsible incitement that brands even demands to protect those involved and their families under international standards as pro-North Korean,” he said in a press release.
Lee said Seoul had sought an explanation and an apology from Kyiv, along with assurances that such a disclosure would not happen again, while maintaining consultations with Ukraine. He said restoring trust was essential for future transfers.
The dispute began when Zelenskyy disclosed the POW transfer during a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23. The North Korean soldiers had been captured while fighting for Russia in 2025.
Seoul said the disclosure violated a confidentiality agreement, which Kyiv denied existed. President Lee Jae Myung then called for an explanation and an apology.
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers that Ukraine had sent a message that included "words of apology," but that it fell short of Seoul’s expectations.
The South Korean government subsequently recalled its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, who arrived in Seoul on Saturday.
Na also condemned the recall, saying the decision could undermine future efforts to bring North Korean POWs to South Korea.
“We have cut off our North Korean compatriots’ lifeline and their path to defection with our own hands,” she said.
She called for the dismissal of the foreign minister and other diplomatic and security officials involved in the decision, arguing the recall would benefit only Pyongyang and Moscow.
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