Seoul summons Ukraine envoy over North Korean prisoner-of-war row

What Happened

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador Andrii Vieshkin in Seoul and lodged a formal complaint after President Volodymyr Zelensky announced at the UN General Assembly last Wednesday that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Park expressed "strong regret" that Zelensky had revealed the transfer, which Seoul says was supposed to be secret. President Lee Jae Myung called the disclosure "greatly disappointing" and said the transfer was a "highly sensitive issue" impacting national security. The two soldiers, among thousands of North Koreans supporting Russia in the Ukraine war, had earlier told local media they wanted to be sent to South Korea. In early 2025, Ukraine said its forces captured them as prisoners of war in Russia's Kursk Oblast. After more than a year of negotiations between Seoul and Kyiv, Zelensky announced the transfer; Seoul confirmed it but sharply criticised Zelensky for allegedly breaking an agreement to keep the transfer a secret, partly to protect the North Koreans' families. Ukraine's foreign ministry declined to comment. Zelensky's office claimed the two countries did not have a non-disclosure agreement, prompting Seoul to demand an apology for "announcing a falsehood" and saying Ukraine's actions seriously damaged trust.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The dispute exposes the diplomatic and security trade-offs Seoul faces in balancing its alliance with the US, its refusal to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, and its need to manage Russia and China as partners in dealing with Pyongyang. South Korea has provided $100 million in non-lethal assistance, but Kyiv has stepped up pressure for cutting-edge anti-air missiles; Russian retaliation threats raise the stakes. Domestically, Lee Jae Myung faces criticism from the opposition for allegedly covering up the transfer to appease North Korea, adding political cost to an already sensitive inter-Korean and international issue.

Watch For

Monitor whether Kyiv issues the demanded apology or escalates the diplomatic spat, and whether Seoul changes its policy on lethal aid or anti-air missile transfers to Ukraine. Watch for any Russian retaliatory measures and North Korean reactions, as well as South Korean domestic political fallout over Lee's handling of the transfer and its implications for efforts to reopen peace talks with Pyongyang.