Ukraine's transfer of North Korean prisoners of war sparks controversy with South Korea, with both sides accusing each other of violating confidentiality agreements

Ukraine's unexpected transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea triggered a dispute between the two countries. South Korea criticized Ukraine for releasing information about North Korean prisoners of war without authorization and breaking the confidentiality agreement between the two countries. However, Ukraine emphasized that the two sides did not have a similar agreement and the two countries insisted on their own opinions. The South Korean government issued a rare strong statement today (28th), criticizing Ukraine's move as "an act that has caused serious damage to the friendly relations between the two countries" and is considering further measures.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Ukrainian President Zelensky publicly stated at the United Nations on the 24th that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, triggering outside discussions. The Blue House stated in a statement yesterday (27th) that the Presidential Office strongly regrets that Ukraine unilaterally disclosed North Korean prisoners of war and violated the confidentiality agreement between the two parties.

However, a source in the Ukrainian presidential office later retorted to the media, saying, "We did not promise confidentiality," causing the incident to turn into a conflict between the two sides.

Cheong Wa Dae’s Chief Secretary for Propaganda and Communications Sung Ki-hong Jin disclosed the negotiation process between the two parties, saying that during the negotiation process, the Ukrainian government had stated that "if the prisoners of war are sent to South Korea, there may be criticism in the country, believing that the government has given up the opportunity to exchange these prisoners of war for more domestic prisoners of war." Therefore, it hopes not to make the fact of sending South Korea public and requests that this be kept confidential.

Cheng Qihong pointed out: "The South Korean side also took into account the safety of the prisoners of war and their families, as well as diplomatic, security and other factors, so it agreed to deal with it in a non-public way and conduct the repatriation process accordingly." In other words, Cheong Wa Dae's position is that not only did the two sides have a non-disclosure agreement, but it was Ukraine that took the initiative to request confidentiality in the first place.

Cheng Qihong criticized: "Ukraine unilaterally disclosed this matter without prior consultation or even notification, which is a major problem in itself. What's more serious is that Ukraine also issued a false statement that "there is no confidentiality agreement," which has seriously damaged the mutual trust between the two governments." He believes that this is "an act that has caused serious damage to the friendly relations between the two countries." He requires Ukraine to formally explain and apologize, and is considering taking other necessary measures in response to this matter.