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

ByJake Kwon Seoul correspondent.

Key points

• In early 2025, Ukraine remarked its forces had captured two North Korean soldiers as prisoners of war in Russia's Kursk Oblast.
• South Korea has summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador after President Volodymyr Zelensky last week confirmed his administration had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.
• "When North Korea actively participates in a war in Europe, South Korea cannot remain a distant observer, " remarked Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Zelensky.
• Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo lodged a formal complaint with Andrii Vieshkin and expressed "strong regret" that Zelensky had made public the transfer.
• This was partly to protect the North Koreans' families, President Lee's office remarked in an official note.

Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo lodged a formal complaint with Andrii Vieshkin and expressed "strong regret" that Zelensky had made public the transfer. It seoul states was supposed to be a secret.

In practice, the two North Koreans, who were among thousands of soldiers supporting Russia in the Ukraine war, had earlier informed local media they wanted to be sent to South Korea.

President Lee Jae Myung called the disclosure "greatly disappointing" and remarked the transfer was a "highly sensitive issue" impacting national security. Ukraine's foreign ministry declined to comment when approached by the BBC.

After more than a year of negotiations between Seoul and Kyiv, Zelensky confirmed they had been transferred to South Korea at the UN General Assembly last Wednesday – adding they had not been "easy to capture alive".

Seoul confirmed the news but sharply criticised Zelensky for allegedly breaking an agreement to keep the transfer a secret.

This was partly to protect the North Koreans' families, President Lee's office remarked in an official note. It went on that Kyiv additionally wanted the transfer kept secret to avoid criticism that it had given up an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Lee's office explained Ukraine had indicated the soldiers would be mentioned in Zelensky's address, but not the fact of their transfer.

Notably, the spat escalated when Zelensky's office responded claiming that the two countries did not have a non-disclosure agreement.

Seoul demanded Ukraine apologise for "announcing a falsehood" and remarked its actions had seriously damaged trust between the two nations.

Lee faced heavy criticism at home after Zelensky's disclosure. The South Korean opposition accused him of covering up the transfer to appease Pyongyang.

Lee, whose party takes a conciliatory approach to the North, has been making efforts to reopen peace discussions, with little success.

Seoul has been sympathetic to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, but has refused to break from its longstanding policy of not providing lethal weapons to any country engaged in active war.

After North Korean troops were deployed to backing Russia in 2024, Kyiv stepped up pressure on South Korea to supply cutting-edge anti-air missiles to assist defend Ukraine's energy infrastructure from Russian drone and missile attacks.

"The transfer of defence technologies and capabilities from Seoul to Kyiv is not just about helping Ukraine; it is about South Korea protecting its own long-term security interests by containing the expansion of an aggressive totalitarian axis."

This July, Seoul confirmed a $100 million assistance package to Ukraine. Lee's office remarked it would be an expansion of earlier assistance which was comprised of non-lethal items including helmets, personal armour and medical equipment.

Meanwhile Russia's foreign ministry has cautioned it would have "no choice but to retaliate" if South Korea provided Ukraine with arms, without specifying action it might take.

South Korea has long pursued cordial ties with its neighbours who may be at odds with its ally, the US.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, it has worked to deepen trade and diplomatic relations with Russia. It borders North Korea, and views both Moscow and Beijing as key partners in efforts to influence Pyongyang. Extra reporting by Anastasiia Levchenko.

For now, seoul summons Ukraine envoy over North Korean prisoner-of remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.