South Korea Demands Apology From Ukraine Over Disclosure of North Korean POW Transfer South Korea has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. Seoul says the two countries had agreed to keep the transfer confidential due […]

South Korea Demands Apology From Ukraine Over Disclosure of North Korean POW Transfer

South Korea has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

Seoul says the two countries had agreed to keep the transfer confidential due to security, diplomatic and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners and their families.

South Korea’s presidential office accused Ukraine of unilaterally disclosing the sensitive transfer and then falsely denying that a confidentiality agreement existed, saying the dispute has seriously damaged trust between the two governments.

Ukraine, however, disputes Seoul’s account and says there was no agreement to keep the transfer secret.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured in Ukraine’s Kursk region while fighting alongside Russian forces and were recently transferred to South Korea after expressing a desire not to return to North Korea.