Why did South Korea object to Ukraine’s disclosure of the two North Korean POWs?

South Korea said Ukraine disclosed the transfer despite an agreement to keep it confidential. President Lee Jae Myung said secrecy was necessary because the matter had significant implications for diplomacy, national security and the Korean Peninsula.

What actions did South Korea take after Ukraine denied a confidentiality agreement over the North Korean POW transfer?

Seoul summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador, demanded an official clarification and apology, and warned that it could take further measures. South Korea later recalled its ambassador to Ukraine on Oct. 8 after judging Kyiv’s response insufficient.

How did Ukraine respond to South Korea’s demand for an apology over the North Korean POW disclosure?

Ukrainian officials denied that a confidentiality agreement existed and later said the dispute reflected differing interpretations of the arrangements. Cho Hyun said Ukraine’s foreign minister gave an informal apology, but Kyiv maintained that the matter was closed.

Timeline of NK POW row between Seoul, Kyiv

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Summary

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea in New York on Sept. 23. Seoul said Kyiv had breached a confidentiality agreement, while Ukraine denied that such an agreement existed. South Korea demanded an apology, recalled its ambassador to Ukraine on Oct. 8, and said Tuesday it was continuing efforts to resolve the dispute.

Key Facts

President Lee Jae Myung said the confidentiality arrangement concerned diplomacy, national security and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador Andrii Vieshkin and requested an official clarification and apology.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he received an informal apology from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha during a National Assembly audit on Oct. 6.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi said the dispute resulted from differing interpretations of the confidentiality arrangements.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv considered the matter closed, according to RBC-Ukraine.

By Kim Bo-kyoung

Published Oct 14, 2026 3:44 pm KST
Updated Oct 14, 2026 4:47 pm KST

North Korean soldiers, captured by Ukrainian forces, receive medical treatment at an undisclosed location in Kyiv in these photos released by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in January 2025. Korea Times file

The dispute between Seoul and Kyiv over the disclosed transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POW) to South Korea began with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement of the move to world leaders on Sept. 23.

"Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," he said during his U.N. General Assembly speech in New York, referring to the official name of South Korea.

President Lee Jae Myung wrote on social media the following day: "The Ukrainian side's decision to disclose the information in violation of a confidentiality agreement is deeply regrettable." He said the two sides had agreed to keep the transfer a secret because it is a "highly sensitive matter with significant implications for diplomacy, national security and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Yet Dmytro Lytvyn, communications adviser to Zelenskyy, in a statement on Facebook denied any such agreement existed.

In a Sept. 27 statement, Sung Ki-hong, South Korea's senior presidential secretary for public communication, criticized the Ukrainian government's handling of the issue and for publicly disclosing the transfer without sufficient prior notice or detailed consultation with Seoul despite Kyiv's initial request for confidentiality.

In protest, Seoul's foreign ministry called in Andrii Vieshkin, acting ambassador of Ukraine to Korea, the next day, and expressed strong concern over Ukraine's denial of the confidentiality agreement. South Korea also demanded that Ukraine issue an official clarification and apology.

Saying Kyiv had “made the leader of another country look like a liar” by denying the existence of a confidentiality agreement, Lee again warned through social media on Oct. 2 that South Korea would consider further measures if Ukraine continued refusing to acknowledge the facts and issue an apology.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, in regular contact with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, said that he received an informal apology from him. "But it felt short of what Seoul expected," Cho said during a National Assembly audit of the ministry on Oct. 6.

Despite foreign minister's words, as Georgiy Tykhyi, a spokesman for Ukraine's foreign ministry, said the dispute arose due to differing interpretations of the confidentiality arrangements between the two countries, the South Korean government decided to recall Park Ki-chang, its ambassador to Ukraine, on Oct. 8. Park returned to Korea on Saturday.

Still, Ukraine maintained its stance, with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha saying Kyiv considers the "matter closed," according to a report by RBC-Ukraine on Monday.

South Korea's foreign ministry said Tuesday it is continuing efforts to resolve the diplomatic dispute while maintaining its demand for an apology from Ukraine.

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