Two POWs, One Dispute: Why Seoul and Kyiv Must Repair Trust

Two prisoners of war are not enough to call South Korea's aid to Ukraine into question. They are enough, however, to strain a delicate relationship. At the centre of the current dispute is President Volodymyr Zelensky's public confirmation that two North Korean prisoners of war had been brought to the Republic of Korea. South Korea accuses Kyiv of thereby breaching an agreed confidentiality. The Ukrainian side denies that any such arrangement existed at presidential level.

Anyone who already reads this as a rupture between Seoul and Kyiv, or as a withdrawal of South Korean aid, goes beyond the documented facts. What is true: the matter concerns vulnerable individuals, their protection and the security situation on the Korean peninsula. It is also true that both governments are continuing to resolve the difference through diplomatic channels.

What is established

In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Zelensky said Ukraine had sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea. According to South Korean authorities, as reported by Yonhap, the two soldiers were captured in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025 and arrived in South Korea in mid-September. These key dates fit a topic that Seoul and Kyiv had already discussed at the highest level in July: at the first meeting between President Lee Jae Myung and Zelensky in Ankara, both sides agreed to handle questions concerning North Korean prisoners with respect for their free will as well as international law and humanitarian principles.

That more is at stake than protocol is obvious. North Korean soldiers who have ended up in the war on the Russian side touch at the same time on questions of the law on prisoners of war, the protection of possible relatives in North Korea and the security-policy rivalry on the Korean peninsula. Precisely for that reason, a public account of the entire affair without a verifiable agreement would be dishonest.

What remains disputed

An agreement that has not been made public

The central uncertainty is not a side issue: the alleged confidentiality arrangement has not been made public. Seoul says that since the beginning of the transfer a shared understanding had existed to keep the matter secret; according to South Korean statements, this was necessary to protect the soldiers and their families. Kyiv disputes the account of an agreement at presidential level. What is available, then, is two official positions, not an independently established fact.

On 6 October, South Korea's foreign minister said, according to Yonhap, that an apologetic message had arrived from Ukraine, but that it did not suffice for Seoul. At the same time he said the government was considering various options. A recall of the ambassador was mentioned in this context only as a possibility. It has not been carried out. Nor has a suspension of aid been announced.

These distinctions matter. A diplomatic dispute can be serious without automatically leading to concrete sanctions. Anyone who presents the public apology or a possible recall of the ambassador as an accomplished rupture conflates statements, verified steps and speculation.

What still applies to aid

The starting point of cooperation is robust enough to put the conflict in perspective. At the July meeting, President Lee referred to a package of USD 100 million in support for Ukraine. The Ukrainian presidential office confirmed this pledge and the intention to advance economic cooperation and reconstruction projects. In early October the South Korean foreign ministry also said the prisoner case would not be linked to other bilateral cooperation, notably not to humanitarian aid and reconstruction.