⚡️🇰🇷🇺🇦 — South Korea’s presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine over Kyiv’s disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and its subsequent rejection of an agreed confidentiality arrangement. Senior presidential secretary for public relations Seong Ghi-hong said Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the transfer with Seoul and requested secrecy over concerns that disclosure could trigger domestic criticism that Kyiv had forfeited an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners — Reuters.

Seoul agreed to keep the move confidential for security, diplomatic and humanitarian reasons, including the safety of the prisoners and their families, but Seong said Ukraine later disclosed it in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s UN General Assembly address without sufficient prior consultation. He said the episode had seriously damaged trust and could harm bilateral relations, while the presidential office was reviewing additional measures.

➡️ Ukraine captured the two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025; they were the first North Korean soldiers captured alive since Pyongyang entered the war in 2024. Seoul had previously declined to confirm their arrival over concerns for the soldiers and family members still in North Korea. An opposition lawmaker in Seoul said the two governments had discussed a possible transfer after both prisoners expressed a desire to go to South Korea.

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