South Korea and Ukraine are caught in a growing diplomatic dispute over what was agreed about two prisoners of war captured while fighting for Russia.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told the UN general assembly last week that his country had “sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea.”
Seoul had long said it would take the men. But instead of celebrating, on Monday South Korea summoned Ukraine’s most senior diplomat in Seoul and demanded an apology.
Here’s a brief guide to what has happened, and why.
Who are the PoWs and what has happened to them?
Ukrainian forces captured the two men in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. They were among thousands of troops Pyongyang sent to fight for Moscow. Both men later said they wanted to go to South Korea, which regards North Koreans as its own citizens.
In July, Zelenskyy and South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, agreed to resolve the issue while respecting the soldiers’ “free will”. The captured pair reportedly arrived in South Korea via a third country earlier this month.
North Koreans arriving in the South as defectors are usually questioned by the National Intelligence Service before being sent to a state resettlement centre, although sensitive cases can reportedly bypass the centre.
Why is Seoul so angry?
Seoul says Kyiv requested secrecy about the transfer, fearing domestic criticism for passing up the opportunity to exchange them for “a large number” of Ukrainian prisoners. South Korea says it agreed, citing the safety of the two men and their families as well as diplomatic and security considerations.
After Zelenskyy revealed the transfer in his UN speech, Lee said on X that Ukraine had broken a “non-disclosure agreement” and that this was regrettable. Zelenskyy’s adviser Dmytro Lytvyn responded on Facebook that there had been no such agreement, prompting accusations from Lee’s critics that the president, whose approval rating has hit a low of 37.9%, had lied.
Lee’s office called Kyiv’s statement “false” and said its conduct “seriously damages trust” between the two governments. On Monday, the foreign ministry summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires, demanding an apology at governmental level.
Was there actually an agreement?
South Korea’s foreign ministry told Ukraine’s envoy there had been a “clear agreement”. Asked by the Guardian the same day whether anything had been put in writing, the ministry said only that the two sides “had decided to handle it confidentially”. Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not respond to a request for comment.
Has North Korea said anything?
No. South Korea’s unification ministry said it had “not identified any related developments so far” and would continue monitoring.
North Korea has glorified soldiers who killed themselves rather than be captured. The transfer of two who survived and chose the South is “a fatal matter” for Pyongyang, says Cho Han-bum of the Korea Institute for National Unification. Having built a “heroic narrative” around its troops, the regime is unlikely to disclose the transfer domestically, he says.
How big a diplomatic incident is this?
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, South Korea condemned Moscow’s actions, joined western sanctions and, in July, pledged a $100m support package. But it has kept the war at arm’s length, refusing to send weapons directly to Kyiv, in line with its practice of not supplying lethal arms to countries at war. Before the war, Russia was one of South Korea’s biggest trading partners. Lee’s government is also keen to improve relations with Pyongyang.
The row has turned that cautious support for Kyiv into open criticism, largely from Lee’s own camp. Kim Byung-joo, a Democratic party lawmaker, said there was “no reason or need” to support Ukraine and has urged the government to review its aid “immediately”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs regarding South Koreas diplomatic friction with Ukraine over two North Korean prisoners of war
Beginner Questions
What is this situation about
South Korea is upset because Ukraine captured two North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia and has not handed them over to South Korea even though South Korea considers them its own citizens
Who are the two North Korean prisoners
They are soldiers from North Korea who were sent to fight alongside Russian forces in Ukraine Ukrainian troops captured them during combat
Why does South Korea care about North Korean prisoners
South Koreas constitution says North Korea is part of South Korea so it considers all North Koreans to be South Korean citizens That means South Korea believes it has the right to protect them
What does South Korea want Ukraine to do
South Korea wants Ukraine to transfer the two prisoners to South Korea either for resettlement or for questioning about North Koreas military involvement
Why is South Korea angry
South Korea is angry because Ukraine has not handed over the prisoners and has reportedly interviewed them without South Korean involvement South Korea feels ignored and disrespected
Intermediate Questions
Why did North Korea send soldiers to fight for Russia
North Korea and Russia have grown closer North Korea reportedly sent troops to support Russia in exchange for money food and military technology
What is South Koreas legal argument for taking the prisoners
South Korea claims the prisoners are its citizens under its constitution which defines the Korean Peninsula as one country It also points to international law on prisoners of war
What does Ukraine say about this
Ukraine has not clearly agreed to hand them over It may want to use the prisoners as bargaining chips with Russia or as evidence of North Korean involvement in the war
Why might Ukraine hesitate to give them to South Korea
Ukraine may want to keep them for intelligence use them in negotiations with Russia or avoid upsetting North Korea and Russia further
Has South Korea asked Ukraine directly
Yes South Korean officials have publicly and privately asked Ukraine to transfer the prisoners Ukraine has not said yes
Advanced Questions
What international laws apply here
The Third Geneva Convention covers prisoners of war It says prisoners must be protected and can be repatriated after the conflict But if repatriation means sending them back to danger countries may offer asylum instead
Can South Korea legally claim them as citizens
Yes
