Why did South Korea summon Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires and demand an explanation and apology after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer to Seoul of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine, how do Seoul and Kyiv differ over whether the transfer was m

South Korea summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires because Seoul says Zelenskyy’s public announcement broke an agreement to keep the two soldiers’ transfer confidential. Seoul also objects to Kyiv’s subsequent denial that such an agreement existed, and has demanded an official explanation and apology. Kyiv disputes Seoul’s account of the confidentiality agreement. 128

• What was disclosed: Zelenskyy announced the transfer at the UN General Assembly after months of talks about the soldiers, whom Ukraine captured in Russia’s Kursk region in 2025. 5
• Confidentiality and notice are separate questions: Seoul says Ukraine originally sought confidentiality and South Korea agreed; Kyiv says there was no pact to keep the transfer secret. 38 Seoul has acknowledged advance notice that Zelenskyy might mention the prisoners, but says Ukraine did not provide the wording in advance. That is not the same as Seoul approving a public announcement that the transfer had happened. 915
• What is at stake: Seoul says the disclosure and denial have damaged trust between the governments. A prolonged dispute could make cooperation—including any decision on South Korean weapons aid to Ukraine—harder, but the available evidence does not establish a change in weapons policy. 12 Publicity may complicate the soldiers’ privacy and resettlement, while making an already sensitive issue more visible as Lee pursues improved relations with North Korea. Those are potential consequences, not confirmed outcomes. 35

The central disagreement remains unresolved publicly: the available accounts do not independently establish the precise confidentiality terms or what Kyiv’s advance notice authorized. 389