South Korea has summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador and demanded an official explanation and apology after Kyiv publicly disclosed the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo called in Ukraine’s acting ambassador, Andrii Vieshkin, on September 28 and conveyed Seoul’s strong protest over the disclosure. South Korean officials said the transfer had been covered by an agreement to keep the matter confidential.
The dispute began after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced during an address to the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine had recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The soldiers had been captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025 after being deployed to support Russian forces.
Seoul said the disclosure violated the confidentiality arrangement and raised concerns about the safety of the two soldiers and their relatives in North Korea. South Korean officials also objected to reports from Ukrainian sources disputing that a confidentiality agreement existed.
Park told the Ukrainian envoy that Kyiv’s denial of the agreement had further damaged trust between the two governments. South Korea requested an official clarification, an apology and measures to prevent a similar incident from happening again. Vieshkin said he would report Seoul’s position to his government.
Ukraine has maintained that the transfer was carried out through direct discussions with South Korea. Ukrainian officials previously said the matter involved sensitive consultations with Seoul, while reports indicated that the two soldiers had expressed a desire to resettle in South Korea.
The two soldiers are now in South Korea, where authorities are expected to conduct questioning and security screening before determining their status and resettlement arrangements under South Korean law.
The diplomatic dispute comes as Seoul continues efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and explore renewed dialogue with Pyongyang. It also highlights the sensitive circumstances surrounding North Korean soldiers who have been deployed alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
For now, South Korea and Ukraine remain at odds over whether the transfer was subject to a formal confidentiality agreement, with Seoul seeking clarification from Kyiv over the circumstances surrounding the public disclosure.
