A South Korean lawmaker said on Wednesday that his country's intelligence service believes that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may have revealed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, in an effort to arouse popular support in South Korea to provide weapons to Kiev.
Zelensky announced before the United Nations General Assembly last week that his country had transferred two North Korean soldiers to South Korea, noting that “capturing them alive was not an easy matter.”
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung responded to Zelensky, expressing his “disappointment,” especially since Seoul considered the move a breach of trust between the two countries, stressing that maintaining secrecy was necessary to protect the relatives of the two prisoners from any repercussions that might affect them in North Korea.
“The Ukrainian side’s violation of the confidentiality agreement between the two countries and its unilateral disclosure of information is in itself considered a very serious matter,” Song Gi-hong, South Korea’s chief presidential secretary for media affairs, said in a statement.
On Monday, Seoul summoned the Ukrainian charge d'affaires to express its "deep concern" about Kiev's disclosure of the case.
According to Representative Yoo Young-ha, the South Korean intelligence service believes that Zelensky “may have decided to reveal the transfer of the two prisoners, in the hope that this will contribute to generating popular momentum in Seoul to provide Ukraine with weapons and other forms of support.”
Representative Yoon Kun-young confirmed that the two prisoners of war arrived in South Korea from Ukraine in mid-September, noting that their health condition was “generally good.”
He pointed out, quoting the intelligence service, that “their desire to come to South Korea was confirmed several times.”
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said (Monday) that “the issue concerns the personal safety of the two people involved and their family members,” and that Seoul and Kiev “agreed to deal with it confidentially.”
But Yoon said on Wednesday that there was no agreement between the two countries to keep the issue secret, adding that diplomatic officials from both sides agreed to this during their contacts.
He added: “Since the start of the discussions, the Ukrainian side has proactively requested that strict confidentiality be maintained, citing concerns about a potential impact on future prisoner exchanges with Russia.”
Early last year, Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers who were fighting among the units that Pyongyang sent to support Russian forces in the war.
One of the soldiers told South Korean media that he served in a reconnaissance unit, and that some North Korean soldiers received training in using Russian military equipment, adding that he was conscripted into the army at the age of 17 and has remained in service since then.
A South Korean lawmaker previously said that the two soldiers expressed their desire to live a “normal life” in South Korea.
The dispute would affect Ukraine's requests to obtain weapons from South Korea, knowing that Seoul has not yet supplied Kiev with lethal weapons, citing internal restrictions that prevent the provision of military aid to countries waging wars, but it was considering supplying them with defense equipment, especially after North Korea sent forces to support Russia.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said on Wednesday that Britain should study the options available for its future relationship with the European Union, including rejoining the bloc, at a time when he is intensifying his efforts to rebuild relations with Europe.
Speaking to the BBC, after suggesting, at Labour's annual conference, that Brexit had "brought more harm than good", Burnham said Britain must examine different models for its long-term relationship with Europe, and decide which offers the best path forward.
He added: “We can stay as we are.” "That's an option, certainly, if people think that's the right situation to stay in."
He continued, saying: “We can look at what George Osborne said about the customs union. “We can look at what the Lib Dems said at their conference about the single market, or we can go all the way.”
Osborne, the former Finance Minister in the Conservative Party government, called on Britain to seek to establish a customs union with the European Union, while the Liberal Democrats called on Britain to return to joining the Union's single market.
Options should be evaluated based on “what is possible” and the advantages and disadvantages of each, Burnham said.
Britain voted to leave the European Union in 2016, ending more than 40 years of membership, and beginning political crises that have been ongoing for years, as successive governments faced the economic and diplomatic consequences of that vote.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Burnham said that he would take advantage of next November's summit between Britain and the European Union to clarify the options available for the country's long-term relationship with the bloc.
Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer last July, has previously stated that he would like Britain to rejoin the European Union during his lifetime. He expressed his opinion that Britain cannot afford the continuation of uncertainty regarding this issue for another ten years.
He said: “I am very clear, and I will say this frankly: Brexit has caused more harm than good... So the question is: What do we do about it?”
