South Korea’s intelligence agency suspects that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the transfer of two North Korean soldiers to bolster public support in South Korea for arms supplies to Ukraine, according to a lawmaker on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy announced last week that Ukraine had sent the two soldiers to South Korea, noting their capture had been challenging. Following his comments at the United Nations, South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung expressed his concern, emphasising the importance of confidentiality to protect the POWs’ families in North Korea.
In response, South Korea summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to voice “serious concerns” regarding the public disclosure. Lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha stated that the intelligence agency believes Zelenskyy “may have chosen to disclose the transfer” to encourage public support in Seoul for military assistance to Ukraine.
Another lawmaker, Youn Kun-young, mentioned that the POWs arrived in South Korea from Ukraine in mid-September and were reported to be in good health, with their intention to relocate confirmed multiple times.
Earlier this week, the South Korean foreign ministry stated that, given the sensitivity of the situation and the safety of the individuals concerned, both Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to handle the matter confidentially. However, Yoo clarified that there was no formal agreement between the leaders for confidentiality, although diplomatic officials had mutually agreed to keep the discussions private.
Yoo added that the Ukrainian side had initially requested strict confidentiality due to concerns over how the disclosure might affect future prisoner exchanges with Russia.
The two soldiers had been captured last year while serving in North Korea’s military, which has been supporting Russia. One soldier told South Korean media he had been conscripted at 17 and was part of a reconnaissance unit. A previous statement from a South Korean lawmaker indicated that the soldiers desired a “normal life” in South Korea.
This controversy may complicate Kyiv’s requests for military support from Seoul, which has so far refrained from supplying lethal weapons, citing a domestic policy that prevents military assistance to nations engaged in conflict. However, South Korea is considering requests for defensive weapons, especially following North Korea’s troop deployment to assist Russia against a surprise Ukrainian advance in the Kursk region in 2024.
