Seoul furious over secret prisoner disclosure
South Korea demands Ukraine say sorry. Zelenskyy revealed a secret prisoner transfer at the UN.
A diplomatic fight has started between South Korea and Ukraine over revealing two North Korean prisoners of war. Last week at the UN, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced something important.
Ukraine's forces had captured two North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia. Ukraine then transferred them to South Korea.
Seoul says the two countries agreed to keep the transfer secret. They did this for security and safety reasons.
They also wanted to protect the families of prisoners in North Korea. South Korea's government says Ukraine broke their secret agreement.
Ukraine's presidential aide disagreed. He said the country is open about such things.
He said they only stated the truth about the transfer. Seoul is now looking at other steps to take.
The country says the disclosure has seriously hurt trust between the nations.
- 2 soldiers
- North Korean POWs transferred
- UN General Assembly
- Announcement forum
- South Korea
- Recipient country
Why it mattersThe fight shows how sensitive North Korean troops in Russia are for regional diplomacy. Public disclosure can break apart allied relationships.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, though the dispute reflects growing tensions around North Korea's military role in the Russia-Ukraine war and broader northeast Asian security dynamics.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 51 min ago
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