South Korea summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador to Seoul on Monday to protest Kyiv's disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and demanded an official explanation and apology over what Seoul says was a breach of a confidentiality agreement.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo called in Andrii Vieshkin, Ukraine's charge d'affaires in Seoul, to the Foreign Ministry on Monday afternoon and conveyed the government's "grave position" on the controversy, according to the ministry.
Park expressed "deep regret" that Ukraine had disclosed the soldiers' transfer during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's address to the United Nations General Assembly without sufficient prior explanation or detailed consultations with Seoul, despite what the South Korean government described as a "clear agreement" between the two countries to keep the matter confidential.
He also protested a subsequent statement from the Ukrainian presidential office denying that such a confidentiality agreement existed, characterizing the denial as false.
Park said Ukraine's denial had "seriously undermined trust between the two governments" and risked damaging bilateral relations, according to the ministry.
He demanded an official explanation and apology from the Ukrainian government for both the disclosure and its subsequent denial of a confidentiality agreement, while urging Kyiv to take steps to prevent a recurrence.
Vieshkin listened closely to Seoul's position and said he would accurately report it to his government, the ministry said.
The diplomatic protest marks the latest escalation in an unusual public dispute between Seoul and Kyiv over the handling of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine in Russia's Kursk region in 2025. They had been deployed in support of Moscow's war against Ukraine and later expressed a desire to go to South Korea.
Zelenskyy first publicly revealed the transfer during his UN General Assembly address in New York on Wednesday.
"Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea," Zelenskyy said.
South Korean authorities initially declined to confirm details of their arrival, citing concerns about the safety of the soldiers and their families in North Korea. Seoul said it had been consulting Ukraine and other relevant countries and organizations based on its position that the soldiers' wishes should be respected. It maintained that the matter should be handled in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles.
President Lee Jae Myung subsequently expressed disappointment over Zelenskyy's disclosure, saying South Korea and Ukraine had agreed not to make the transfer public because of the diplomatic, security and humanitarian sensitivities involved.
"It was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose, considering the many problems it may cause when disclosed, and we had agreed to do so," Lee wrote on X, adding that Ukraine had revealed the transfer in breach of the agreement.
The Ukrainian side, however, later disputed Seoul's account. A source in the Ukrainian presidential office reportedly said the two governments had not agreed to keep the transfer secret.
Cheong Wa Dae sharpened its criticism Sunday, insisting that Ukraine had itself initially sought confidentiality during consultations with Seoul.
Senior presidential secretary for public relations Seong Ghi-hong said Kyiv had told Seoul that disclosure could trigger criticism in Ukraine that the government had given up an opportunity to exchange the North Korean soldiers for Ukrainian POWs held by Russia. Seoul agreed to keep the transfer confidential after considering the safety of the soldiers and their families as well as diplomatic and security concerns, according to Seong.
Cheong Wa Dae accused Ukraine of subsequently disclosing the transfer without sufficient prior consultation and then falsely denying the confidentiality agreement. It demanded an official explanation and apology and said Seoul was considering additional measures.
The two North Korean soldiers are the first known North Korean troops captured in the Russia-Ukraine war to have been transferred to South Korea after expressing a wish to settle here.
mkjung@heraldcorp.com