North Korea · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
South Korea Demands Apology From Ukraine Over Disclosure Of North Korean POW Transfer
South Korea demands explanation and apology from Ukraine for disclosing two North Korean POWs' transfer Kyiv disclosed the transfer in breach of a POW-transfer non-disclosure agreement
Whether Ukraine had a confidentiality agreement.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: south Korea says it was notified in advance of Zelensky's UN disclosure.
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Reuters
“The presidential office expresses strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure and its subsequent false announcement that there had not been a non-disclosure agreement,”Read the original ↗
Drives the legal and diplomatic blame dispute over breach versus factual disclosure.
Seoul demands apology
South Korea’s presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine after accusing Kyiv of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and then falsely denying that the two sides had agreed to keep the move confidential. Seong Ghi-hong said in a statement released on Sunday that “The presidential office expresses strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure” and said the government was reviewing additional measures if necessary. Seoul said Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the prisoners’ transfer with Seoul through various channels and had requested secrecy, arguing that public disclosure could trigger domestic criticism that Kyiv had given up an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners.
South Korea said it agreed to keep the transfer confidential due to “security, diplomatic and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners and their families.” Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not immediately respond to a Reuters comment request.
Kyiv denies any pact
Dmytro Lytvyn denied Seoul’s claim of consensus to keep the transfer confidential, saying “There was no such agreement, this is not true.” Lytvyn also said it would be wrong to conceal the whereabouts of specific prisoners, writing “it would be wrong to conceal the whereabouts of specific prisoners,”.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrote on X that it was “deeply regrettable” that Zelensky revealed the information and called it a “violation of the agreement to confidentiality.” Lee Jae Myung also wrote that it was “reasonable and justifiable” to keep the matter confidential after “considering various problems that its disclosure to the public could have caused.”
UN disclosure and stakes
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, and South Korea said the disclosure happened without sufficient prior consultation. Seong Ghi-hong said the denial had “seriously damaged trust between the two governments and could harm bilateral relations,” and he said Seoul was reviewing further necessary measures.
The Korea Herald said Seoul stressed that the issue of repatriating North Korean POWs to South Korea was “a matter that has long been the subject of careful deliberation” because of its sensitivity for “security, diplomacy, national defense and human rights.” TThe Korea Herald also said Seoul maintained that it would handle the situation based on the individuals’ own free will, as well as relevant domestic laws, international law and humanitarian principles.T