South Korea Fumes at Ukraine Over Disclosure of Captured North Korean Soldiers
Seoul demands apology after President Zelensky reveals transfer of North Korean defectors, calling the disclosure a violation of a non-disclosure agreement.
South Korea has expressed strong regret and demanded an apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that Kyiv had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul. The announcement, made during Zelensky's address to the United Nations General Assembly, has angered South Korean officials who claim it violated a non-disclosure agreement.
Seong Ghi-hong, a spokesperson for South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, stated on Sunday that Ukraine's "unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement" was met with significant dismay. Approximately 15,000 to 20,000 North Korean troops are estimated to be fighting alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.
Zelensky had described the captured North Koreans as difficult to take alive, recounting an incident where one attempted suicide upon realizing he would be taken prisoner. "This is madness too. Why should Koreans give their lives in a war against Ukraine? Kim Jong Un uses them like currency, and he gets something in return," Zelensky said during his Sept. 23 address, referencing the military aid North Korea provides to Russia in exchange for economic and humanitarian support.
President Lee, who has been pursuing a diplomatic solution involving sanctions relief for North Korea in exchange for denuclearization, criticized Zelensky's public announcement. "The issue of repatriating North Korean prisoners of war is a highly sensitive agenda that significantly impacts diplomacy, national security, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula," Lee posted on social media. He further described Zelensky's announcement as "advertising repatriation to the whole world with banging bells and dancing to show off their achievements—without caring about the state of inter-Korean relations."
South Korea had previously urged Ukraine not to repatriate the captured soldiers, citing concerns about severe persecution they would likely face upon return to North Korea for having been captured alive. Zelensky stated that Russia has sought to enlist an additional 30,000 North Korean troops for its ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Since the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War, over 34,000 North Koreans have defected to South Korea.