According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on September 25th, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy recently stated publicly that two North Korean captives would be transferred to South Korea. In response, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol expressed regret over the Ukrainian side's violation of the previously reached non-public consensus and its public announcement of this information.
On September 24, Lee Jae-myung posted on social media, stating that transferring North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea is an extremely sensitive issue, which could have significant impacts on diplomacy, national security, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. After considering all the possible issues that could arise from making this information public, both parties decided that it was more appropriate to proceed in a non-public manner, and they reached a consensus on this matter. It is unclear what considerations the Ukrainian side had for doing so, but Lee Jae-myung expressed his deep regret regarding this decision.
When asked by Yonhap whether Ukraine and South Korea had agreed not to disclose certain information, the Office of the President of Ukraine stated on September 24 in Ukrainian time that Ukraine is a open country. Secretly transferring prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces to some place would be considered suspicious. The details of this matter are complex, but the Ukrainian side only announced that these two individuals have been sent to South Korea.
On September 23, Zelenskyy said in a speech at the United Nations General Assembly that two North Korean soldiers were sent to South Korea recently. He described in detail the process of capturing the North Korean soldiers and condemned Kim Jong Un, Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party of Korea and Chief State Councilor, for treating the soldiers as “currency” that could be exchanged in exchange for other benefits. He also pointed out that countries in Asia should be aware of North Korea’s increasingly sophisticated ballistic missile and drone capabilities.
Zelensky said that North Korea sent troops to support Russia to make up for its military deficiencies, but the North Korean army also paid a heavy price. He warned that wars inflicted on Russia without punishment are spreading, and evil is also spreading.
The Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated regarding the issue of North Korean captives on that day that the Korean side has always adhered to the position that the free will of the individuals should be respected, and that the issue should be resolved in a manner that complies with international law and humanitarian principles. In accordance with this position, the Korean side maintained necessary communication and consultations with relevant countries and institutions such as Ukraine.
However, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it is difficult to confirm whether North Korean prisoners have been transferred to South Korea, through what channels they were transferred, and the exact timing. At the same time, it did not deny the information presented by Zelenskyy.
According to Yonhap, given Zelenskyy's public announcement that North Korean prisoners of war were sent to South Korea, it can be inferred that these prisoners have arrived safely and are being protected by relevant South Korean agencies.
It is reported that the Ukrainian military captured two North Korean military prisoners of war in Kursk, western Russia, at the beginning of last year. They had previously expressed their desire to go to South Korea through letters sent to a group of North Koreans who have crossed over from North Korea. The South Korean government has maintained its position of wanting to accept these North Korean military prisoners of war captured by Ukraine and has been in constant negotiations with the Ukrainian government. Leaders from both South Korea and Ukraine held talks during the NATO summit in July this year, where the issue of North Korean prisoners of war was discussed. In June this year, foreign ministers from South Korea and Ukraine agreed that this issue should be handled in accordance with the principles of respecting the wishes of the prisoners of war and international humanitarian law.
