Why did Lee Jae Myung say Ukraine breached a non-disclosure agreement on the North Korean POW transfer?

Lee said South Korea and Ukraine had agreed to keep the transfer confidential because disclosure could create many problems. He called the release of the information a breach of that agreement and said he regretted it.

What did Ukraine and South Korea say about the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war?

Zelenskyy said Ukraine recently sent the two North Korean soldiers to South Korea in his address to the United Nations General Assembly. The Ukrainian presidential office later said the transfer was done through direct dialogue with Seoul and that only the long details of the process were not disclosed.

When were the two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces?

They were captured in January 2025 after being deployed to Russia’s Kursk region with thousands of other North Korean troops. The article says they were supporting Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Lee says Ukraine breached non-disclosure agreement on 2 NK soldiers

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Summary

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Ukraine breached a non-disclosure agreement by revealing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. He said the disclosure could cause many problems and affect diplomacy, national security and the security environment on the Korean Peninsula. The remarks came after Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had sent the two soldiers to South Korea in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly. Lee said the transfer had been agreed to as confidential.

Key Facts

Lee posted his criticism on his X account a day after Zelenskyy’s United Nations General Assembly speech in New York.
The Ukrainian presidential office said the transfer was carried out through direct dialogue with Seoul.
The Seoul government had previously refused to confirm the POWs’ arrival in Seoul, citing dangers to their safety and the safety of their families still in North Korea.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 25, 2026 1:17 am KST
Updated Sep 25, 2026 2:18 am KST

President of South Korea Lee Jae Myung speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters, Tuesday, in New York City. Getty Images via AFP-Yonhap

MEXICO CITY — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday expressed regret that Ukraine has disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea, calling it a breach of a non-disclosure agreement that he said may lead to many problems.

"It was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose, considering many problems it may cause when disclosed, and (we) had agreed to do so," Lee said in a post on his X account, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Ukraine recently sent the two North Korean soldiers to South Korea.

Shortly after Zelenskyy's speech, the Ukrainian presidential office said the transfer of the two North Korean prisoners to South Korea was carried out through direct dialogue with Seoul.

"(Ukraine) disclosed the transfer in breach of a non-disclosure agreement," Lee wrote. "I don't know the reasons (for the disclosure), but I regret it."

Lee said the issue is a very sensitive matter that could immensely affect diplomacy and national security, as well as the security environment on the Korean Peninsula, adding that South Korea and Ukraine had agreed to a confidential transfer of the North Korean soldiers, in consideration of the many problems expected if the transfer were disclosed.

Seoul and Kyiv had reportedly been in discussions over a possible transfer of the North Korean POWs to South Korea after the the two expressed their desire to come to South Korea.

The Seoul government had previously refused to confirm their arrival in Seoul, citing what it called potential dangers to the safety and lives of the POWs and their families still in North Korea.

Responding to a query from Yonhap News Agency, the Ukrainian presidential office said Thursday that the country has only disclosed the transfer of the North Koreans to South Korea without what it called the long details of the process, claiming that it would have been strange to keep the entire transfer a secret.

Lee also addressed opposition parties' criticism over the confidentiality agreement, saying it would be "cruel and irresponsible" to disclose the transfer regardless of how it would affect inter-Korean ties or whether it could lead to someone's death or hamper national interests.

The president expressed hope that inhumane wars, in which innocent people are killed or injured, would end as soon as possible.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 after being deployed to Russia's Kursk region along with thousands of other North Korean troops in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine.

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