Seoul-Kyiv row over two North Korean soldiers: ‘The Guardian’ says their transfer sparked a diplomatic crisis

A diplomatic dispute has erupted between South Korea and Ukraine after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russia had been sent to South Korea.

According to an analysis by The Guardian, Seoul has asked Kyiv for an explanation and a formal apology, claiming that the two sides had agreed to keep the transfer confidential.

The issue became public last week, when Zelenskyy addressed the UN General Assembly and said Ukraine had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea.

On Monday, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Seoul, seeking an apology at the government level.

The dispute between the two countries centers mainly on whether there was an understanding not to disclose information about the soldiers’ transfer.

South Korean authorities say Kyiv had requested confidentiality, partly out of concern that losing the possibility of exchanging the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners would draw criticism at home.

Seoul says it honored the request to protect the safety of the two men and their families, as well as for diplomatic and security reasons.

After the Ukrainian president’s statement at the UN, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Ukraine had violated a “non-disclosure agreement.”

This account was disputed by Dmytro Lytvyn, Zelenskyy’s adviser, who said the two sides had made no such agreement.

President Lee’s office described Kyiv’s claim as untrue and warned that such a position seriously undermines trust between the two governments.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry insisted that a “clear agreement” had existed. Asked whether it had been set out in a written document, the ministry said both sides had agreed to handle the matter confidentially.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Seoul has not commented publicly on the claim.

The two soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. They were part of North Korean troops sent to fight in support of Russia.

After their capture, both said they wanted to go to South Korea, while Seoul, which considers North Koreans its citizens, had earlier expressed its willingness to accept them.

In July, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Lee Jae Myung agreed that a resolution to the issue should respect the two soldiers’ free will.

The two prisoners reportedly arrived in South Korea via a third country earlier this month.

Pyongyang has not publicly commented on their transfer to South Korea so far.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said it had not identified any developments related to the matter and would continue to monitor the situation.

North Korea has previously praised its soldiers for killing themselves to avoid capture in combat.

Experts cited in the report say the transfer to South Korea of the two soldiers who survived and chose not to return to the North could be particularly sensitive for the Pyongyang regime.

Seoul has condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, aligned itself with Western sanctions and provided Kyiv with financial support.

In July, South Korea announced an aid package worth $100 million.

Despite this support, Seoul has refused to send weapons directly to Ukraine, in line with its policy of not supplying lethal weapons to countries at war.

Russia was one of South Korea’s important trading partners before the full-scale war began. At the same time, President Lee’s government has expressed interest in improving relations with North Korea.