S. Korea-Ukraine row over North Korean POWs escalates into dueling claims

A dispute between South Korea and Ukraine over the repatriation of two captured North Korean soldiers has escalated into a full-blown war of words, with Cheong Wa Dae accusing Kyiv of breaking a confidentiality agreement and publicly lying about it — and now demanding a formal apology.

Seong Ki-hong, chief communications secretary at Cheong Wa Dae, issued a late-night statement Sunday titled "Position on the repatriation of North Korean POWs and the attitude of the Ukrainian government," saying the matter had been "a highly sensitive issue touching on security, diplomacy, defense and human rights — both internationally and domestically — and had been discussed carefully over a long period of time."

The dispute was triggered when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday (local time) — without prior coordination — that two captured North Korean soldiers had been sent to South Korea. President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over what he described as a breach of a confidentiality agreement, prompting Ukraine's presidential communications office to insist no such agreement existed. Cheong Wa Dae then issued its direct rebuttal.

In the statement, Seong said Ukraine had consulted South Korea through multiple channels on the POW repatriation issue and had itself requested confidentiality, citing concerns that disclosing the transfer could fuel domestic criticism that Kyiv had passed up an opportunity to exchange its own prisoners. "Our side also agreed to keep the matter confidential, taking into account the safety of the prisoners and their families as well as diplomatic and security considerations, and proceeded with the repatriation accordingly," he said, laying out the full sequence of consultations.

Seong then sharply criticized Ukraine's conduct. He said it was "a very serious problem" that Ukraine had unilaterally disclosed the repatriation without prior consultation or even notification, in breach of the bilateral confidentiality agreement. But he went further, saying Ukraine's presidential communications office had compounded the breach by issuing a false denial after President Lee made factually grounded public remarks. "This seriously damages trust between the two governments and causes grave harm to the friendly relations between our two countries," he said.

Seong said Seoul "expresses strong regret over Ukraine's unilateral disclosure in violation of the agreement and the subsequent false public statement denying that any confidentiality agreement existed," and formally demanded "an official explanation and apology." He added that Seoul was "reviewing additional measures that may be necessary."

The statement also carried a message for domestic political figures. Seong said he "expresses deep regret" toward those in South Korea who, rather than pointing out Ukraine's wrongdoing, had "turned a sensitive diplomatic and security matter affecting the national interest into a political battleground, defended Ukraine's improper conduct and undermined the national interest." He urged them to "refrain from making unverified false claims or statements that do not accord with the facts."

Amid the fallout, the opposition People Power Party continued to press the Lee Jae Myung administration over the repatriation. PPP leader Jang Dong-hyeok said at a supreme council meeting Monday that "there is no reason the repatriation could not have been disclosed, given that the prisoners' faces had already been made public and their wish to come to South Korea confirmed. If there is any reason to keep it secret, it is only to avoid upsetting Kim Jong-un." He added that President Lee's criticism of Ukraine for making the disclosure — saying he found it "very regrettable" — left him wondering "whether this is the president of the Republic of Korea or Kim Jong-un's chief of staff."

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea fired back, telling the PPP to "stop spreading conspiracy theories." Party chief spokesperson Park Seong-jun told reporters Sunday that voices heard on the ground during the chuseok holiday were sharply critical of the PPP for "going beyond mere political squabbling to manufacture conspiracy theories and stoke public anxiety." He said any responsible political group should be "condemning and holding accountable those who raise issues that could undermine our security — not peddling conspiracy theories."

However, some voices within the ruling party also raised concerns about the government's handling of the affair. Five-term veteran lawmaker Park Ji-won wrote on Facebook that if even the Democratic Party's lead negotiator on the intelligence committee and he himself had received no after-the-fact briefing, "are ruling party lawmakers just supposed to sit back and enjoy the show?" He asked why the government was "not acting proactively and instead hiding behind the scenes."