OMM Redaksiyası
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has strongly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for publicly disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners to South Korea.
In remarks posted on the US social media platform “X” on Thursday, Lee said state affairs should be handled in the interests of the country and its people, rather than for the popularity or political gains of those in power. He described the repatriation as an “extremely sensitive” matter affecting diplomacy, national security and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside Russian forces to South Korea.
“Regardless of inter-Korean relations, casualties or damage to the national interest, those who would have advertised the prisoner repatriation to the entire world while celebrating the achievement may not understand our government’s efforts to keep the matter confidential or even suspect there is a problem,” Lee said.
Lee says disclosure violated confidentiality agreement
The South Korean president said that keeping the transfer confidential had been “the most reasonable approach” because disclosure could have created various problems. He added that this was the position agreed upon by the parties involved.
“When considering people’s lives, national security and the national interest, such cruelty and irresponsibility are unacceptable,” Lee said.
He also described as “murderers or traitors” those who harm lives, the national interest or national security for their own “trivial gains”, while saying it was wrong to criticize a justified decision to keep the matter confidential.
“I do not know what circumstances led to the Ukrainian side disclosing the matter in violation of the non-disclosure agreement, but it is deeply regrettable,” Lee added.
North Korean soldiers captured in Russia’s Kursk region
The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in early 2025 after being deployed there to support Russian troops fighting Ukrainian forces that had entered the area.
Kyiv and Seoul later discussed transferring the prisoners to South Korea in line with international law, humanitarian principles and the soldiers’ wishes.
Lee and Zelenskyy agreed in July to address the issue on humanitarian grounds while respecting the soldiers’ wishes.
