Zelenskyy told the UN that Ukraine sent two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Seoul says that broke a secrecy deal. Was he right to reveal it?
The two were captured in early 2025 while fighting for Russia in Kursk. South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung has demanded an apology, saying Kyiv agreed to keep the transfer quiet. Ukraine denies there was any such agreement and calls the row a "diplomatic misunderstanding".
What happened
In his UN General Assembly speech on 23 September, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had recently transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, about 20 months after they were captured fighting for Russia in the Kursk region. Both had said they wanted to go to South Korea. President Lee Jae Myung accused Kyiv of breaking a non-disclosure agreement, and Seoul demanded an official explanation and apology and summoned Ukraine's envoy. Zelenskyy's adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said: "There was no such agreement."
Why people disagree
Some argue openness was justified: it shows North Korean troops that surrender can lead to a new life, exposes Pyongyang's role in the war, and South Korea's own opposition accused the government of putting Pyongyang's reaction ahead of transparency. Others say Seoul's secrecy protected the soldiers and their relatives still in North Korea, and that a public row between two US partners damages trust and the united front against Russia and North Korea.
What's still unclear
It is disputed whether a secrecy agreement existed at all. It is unclear whether the soldiers' families face reprisals, or whether the row will affect future transfers or Ukraine's requests to South Korea.
Sources
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