South Korea rebukes Zelensky for disclosing North Korean POW transfer at UN General Assembly
South Korea confirmed that Ukraine warned Seoul in advance that President Zelensky would publicly mention the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war during his UN General Assembly speech, despite a prior understanding not to disclose the information. Seoul described the disclosure as a violation of their confidentiality agreement, while Ukraine's Office of the President said Kyiv never undertook such an obligation.
Key points
- Zelensky announced in his UN General Assembly speech on September 23, 2026, that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean soldiers captured in Russia's Kursk Oblast in 2025 to South Korea.
- South Korea's presidential administration confirmed to journalists in Mexico City that Ukraine gave Seoul advance notice through diplomatic channels and asked for understanding.
- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung wrote on X that the disclosure caused 'deep regret' and called it a 'violation of the confidentiality agreement.'
- Seoul said it had a mutual understanding with Kyiv to handle the transfer quietly and quickly, without public disclosure.
- Ukraine's Office of the President responded that Ukraine never undertook non-disclosure obligations and that South Korea never demanded confidentiality.
- The South Korean official said Zelensky's statement caused the situation to 'somewhat deviate from the previous mutual understanding.'
- South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun's ongoing negotiations with Kyiv on support for Ukraine continue independently of the dispute.
Why it matters
The episode exposes a diplomatic rift between Ukraine and South Korea at a sensitive moment for both countries' foreign policies. It highlights the tension between Ukraine's public messaging about North Korean involvement in the war and South Korea's preference for quiet diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula. The dispute also raises questions about the scope and limits of confidentiality agreements between allies during high-profile international forums like the UN General Assembly. Despite the friction, Seoul has formally decoupled its support for Ukraine from the POWs issue.
What happened
During his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine had recently transferred two North Korean military personnel, captured in Russia's Kursk Oblast in 2025, to South Korea. South Korea's presidential administration confirmed to journalists in Mexico City that Ukraine had informed Seoul in advance through diplomatic channels that Zelensky would raise the issue publicly, and had asked for Seoul's understanding. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who was on a state visit to Mexico at the time, wrote on X that the disclosure caused 'deep regret' and constituted a 'violation of the confidentiality agreement.' A senior Blue House official said Seoul and Kyiv had reached a mutual understanding to handle the transfer quietly and quickly, without public disclosure, and that Zelensky's statement caused the situation to 'somewhat deviate from the previous mutual understanding.' Zelensky also noted that capturing North Korean soldiers alive is difficult, saying one had attempted suicide upon realizing he would be captured.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All three supplied sources are Ukrainian-language media outlets. The coverage centers on framing the episode as a pre-warned disclosure: Ukraine gave Seoul advance notification and asked for understanding, with the headline angle emphasizing the advance warning rather than the South Korean rebuke. The reporting foregrounds Zelensky's UN General Assembly speech and his statement that capturing North Korean soldiers alive is difficult. Ukraine's official position, that no confidentiality obligation was undertaken and that South Korea never demanded non-disclosure, is also surfaced in the coverage.
Where reporting differs
Kyiv and Seoul disagree on whether a binding non-disclosure obligation existed. South Korea says the public disclosure violated a mutual confidentiality understanding, while Ukraine's Office of the President says Ukraine never undertook such an obligation and that South Korea never demanded non-disclosure.
Background
Two North Korean soldiers were captured in Russia's Kursk Oblast in 2025 and later transferred to South Korea. South Korea had pursued a strategy of resolving the transfer quietly and quickly, without public disclosure. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung was on a state visit to Mexico at the time of the disclosure. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has been conducting separate negotiations with Kyiv on support for Ukraine.