South Korean President Condemns Zelensky for Disclosing Data on Transfer of Prisoners from North Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae-myeon said that Ukraine violated an agreement with Seoul not to disclose information about the transfer of two prisoners of war from North Korea. He expressed regret that this became public knowledge.

This is reported by The Korea Times.

Lee Jae-myung stressed that the issue of the transfer of North Korean military personnel is sensitive and its disclosure could create problems for diplomatic relations, national security, and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.

According to him, South Korea and Ukraine agreed in advance not to disclose information about the transfer of prisoners precisely because of the possible consequences of its publication.

“Given the numerous problems that the disclosure of this information could cause, it was advisable in all respects not to disclose it, and we agreed on this. Ukraine disclosed the transfer information in violation of the non-disclosure agreement. I do not know the reasons, but I regret it,” the South Korean president said.

This is how he commented on the statement of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who a day earlier, during a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, announced the transfer of two prisoners of war from the DPRK to South Korea.

Two North Korean soldiers were captured by the Ukrainian Defense Forces in January 2025 during hostilities in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. Both were wounded. After their capture, they were transported to Kyiv, where they were treated by representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine.

In June 2026, Seoul announced its readiness to accept prisoners of war from the DPRK. South Korea considers North Korean citizens to be its citizens in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. However, acceptance is possible provided that the prisoners voluntarily agree to move.

South Korea also opposes the forced return of such soldiers to the DPRK or their transfer to Russia.

In particular, on September 23, during his speech at the UN General Assembly, Zelensky said that Ukraine had already handed over two prisoners of war from the DPRK to Seoul. According to him, one of them tried to commit suicide.

It was previously reported that North Korea could send up to 50,000 troops to Russia to participate in the war against Ukraine. The figure was 30,000, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said it was higher, at 50,000.

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