Foreign Affairs
South Korea Demands Apologies After Zelensky Reveals Transfer of North Korean Prisoners of War
South Korea has demanded an apology and official statement from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly announced the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war during a speech at the United Nations. Seoul claims Kyiv violated a confidentiality agreement by unilaterally disclosing the handover, which South Korean President Lee Jae-myung described as deeply regrettable. The dispute is compounded by Ukraine's denial that such an agreement existed, a move Seoul says has damaged trust between the governments. Ukraine captured the soldiers in January 2025, marking the first time living North Korean military personnel were taken since Pyongyang joined the Russia-Ukraine war in 2024. The sensitive issue arises as South Korea seeks to resume dialogue with North Korea.
Ozetta summarises; the reporting is the newsroom's