South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over alleged breach of secret deal on N.Korean soldiers

Seoul — As Ukraine enters its fifth year of defending against Russian forces, it has found itself in a diplomatic dispute with a country that has been among its political supporters: South Korea.

The conflict stems from the transfer of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine in January. The men were among the approximately 15,000 troops that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had dispatched to support Russia.

During his address to the UN General Assembly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed that the two soldiers had been transferred to South Korea at their own request.

Although South Korean President Lee Jae-myung had also called for the North Koreans to be taken in, he criticized Zelenskyy for allegedly breaking a confidentiality agreement. The accusation is that the public disclosure could expose the soldiers' relatives in North Korea to repression. Pyongyang is also likely to feel provoked that Seoul has accepted two defectors at all.

Kyiv: No Secrecy Agreement with South Korea

The Ukrainian side has rejected the accusation. Dmytro Lytvyn, a communications advisor to Zelenskyy, denied that any secrecy agreement existed with Seoul. Kyiv's argument is supported by the fact that it was the South Korean government itself that had consistently and publicly raised the issue of the two North Korean prisoners of war.

The dispute escalated on Monday. A spokesperson for the presidential office in Seoul demanded "an apology and an official explanation from Kyiv." Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo also summoned the chargé d'affaires of the Ukrainian embassy in Seoul.

A ruling party lawmaker even threatened to cut all aid funds to Ukraine. "There is no reason to support a country that does not adhere to intergovernmental confidentiality agreements," Kim Byoung-joo wrote on X.

Is Seoul Using the Dispute to Distract from Domestic Politics?

The dispute also reflects the growing domestic pressure on President Lee Jae-myung. According to polls, his popularity is at its lowest since he took office in June 2025. Many commentators privately suspect that Lee is exploiting the diplomatic conflict to divert attention from domestic crises.

Criticism from the conservative camp also suggests that Lee fears angering North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and therefore avoids all sensitive topics — including the transfer of the two defecting soldiers.

At the same time, the case reveals a growing rift between the governments in Seoul and Kyiv. Ukraine is increasingly frustrated that South Korea, despite its considerable defense industry, has not sold weapons to Kyiv.

Meanwhile, since the outbreak of the Iran war, Seoul has been purchasing more fuel from Russia again. Major Korean conglomerates are also poised to regain access to the Russian market. Hyundai Motors, for example, continues to maintain a representative showroom in central Moscow.

President Lee: Conflict with Kyiv, Leniency Toward Pyongyang

While the South Korean government now openly criticizes Kyiv, Lee Jae-myung has been notably restrained in his criticism of the North Korean regime — apparently to avoid undermining his efforts to improve inter-Korean relations.

Pyongyang not only actively supports Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine but also regularly issues threats against Seoul. Just a week ago, three South Korean soldiers were seriously injured by an explosion along the demilitarized zone. An investigation concluded that the explosion was triggered by a North Korean landmine.