President Lee Jae-myung expressed regret on X on the 24th after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed in his UN speech that two North Korean POWs had been sent to South Korea.

Lee said the repatriation of North Korean prisoners is a highly sensitive matter with major implications for diplomacy, security and the peninsula, and that given the problems disclosure would cause, keeping it confidential was appropriate in every respect and was what had been agreed.

Two soldiers captured in Kursk

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's western Kursk region in January last year. After they expressed a wish to go to South Korea, their transfer was handled as a quiet diplomatic matter between Seoul and Kyiv.

Some conservative opposition figures criticised the government for not disclosing the transfer. Lee countered that 'it is not right to criticise a justified and legitimate confidential measure.'

Remaining tasks

The government is focusing on the soldiers' safety and resettlement support. How North Korea and Russia respond, and what effect the episode has on Seoul-Kyiv ties, are being watched.

Diplomats note that handling POWs involves the Geneva Conventions, the individuals' wishes and state relations, and say principles on disclosure should be settled in advance for any future cases.