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Ukraine sent two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, Zelenskyy says

The transfer follows months of talks and the soldiers had expressed a desire to defect, South Korean officials said.

  • On Thursday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for disclosing the secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, calling it a breach of their confidential agreement.
  • Captured near Russia's Kursk region in January 2025, the two North Korean soldiers sought asylum, prompting South Korea and Ukraine to arrange a confidential transfer agreement between them.
  • Calling the public reveal 'cruel and irresponsible,' Lee warned that the sensitive matter could significantly affect diplomacy and security on the Korean Peninsula. He expressed regret over Ukraine's breach.
  • Opposition parties criticized the Lee administration for allowing a foreign leader to announce the prisoners' arrival before Seoul informed the public, citing a lack of transparency.
  • Under South Korea's constitution, all Koreans are considered citizens, a status officials confirmed applies to any North Korean troops captured in Ukraine, shaping Seoul's approach to managing the defectors.
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166 Articles

Center

The South Korean president claims that Ukraine violated a confidentiality agreement by revealing the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. This disclosure, made by Volodymyr Zelensky at the...

Lean Left

According to South Korea, they agreed not to make this public, but Zelensky nevertheless shared the news with the whole world at the UN General Assembly.

·Hungary
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Lean Left

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky broke a confidentiality agreement by revealing before the United Nations General Assembly in New York that his country had recently handed over two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on Thursday that Zelensky could cause a lot of problems and that he regretted his move.

Right

Zelensky revealed at the UN that Ukraine had handed over two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, a move Seoul said was a breach of confidentiality.

·Budapest, Hungary
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Washington Times broke the news in Washington, United States on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.
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