Why South Korea is demanding an apology from Ukraine over North Korean PoWs

What the report says

South Korea has asked Ukraine for an official apology and explanation after accusing Kyiv of publicly revealing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. According to Al Jazeera’s report, President Lee Jae Myung and senior presidential aides said Ukraine had discussed the handover through diplomatic channels and had sought confidentiality, but later denied that any nondisclosure agreement existed.

The dispute centers on two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine in January 2025 during fighting in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last week at the UN General Assembly that the men had been transferred to South Korea, where authorities would decide whether to grant them protection and resettlement. He also suggested they could be exchanged for Ukrainians held in Russia. The article notes that human rights groups had urged sending the prisoners to South Korea, and that South Korean media reported the men may have wanted to defect.

Seoul says the issue is sensitive because it affects inter-Korean relations, the safety of the prisoners and their families in North Korea, and broader national interests. The government has said it will review the men’s cases under existing laws. Opposition politicians, meanwhile, have criticized Lee’s administration for not disclosing the transfer sooner.

The episode comes amid wider concern over North Korea’s military support for Russia. The report says South Korea and Ukraine estimate that roughly 14,000 to 15,000 North Korean troops have been sent to aid Moscow, with Pyongyang also supplying weapons and ammunition.