Two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025 have become the unlikely fulcrum of a diplomatic rupture between Seoul and Kyiv. Both men said they wanted to go to South Korea, which regards all North Koreans as its own citizens. In July, Presidents Lee Jae Myung and Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to resolve the matter while respecting the soldiers' "free will." The pair reportedly arrived in South Korea via a third country earlier this month. The crisis ignited when Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had "sent two North Korean prisoners of war to the Republic of Korea." Seoul says Kyiv had explicitly requested secrecy about the transfer, fearing domestic blowback for not exchanging the men for a "large number" of Ukrainian prisoners. South Korea says it agreed to confidentiality, citing the safety of the two men, their families, and broader diplomatic considerations. After the UN speech, President Lee posted on X that Ukraine had broken a "non-disclosure agreement" and called the breach regrettable. Zelenskyy adviser Dmytro Lytvyn responded on Facebook that no such agreement existed. Lee's critics — noting his approval rating has hit 37.9% — accused the president of lying. Lee's office called Kyiv's statement "false" and said the conduct "seriously damages trust." The foreign ministry summoned Ukraine's chargé d'affaires and demanded an apology at governmental level. The factual question remains unresolved. South Korea's foreign ministry told Ukraine's envoy there had been a "clear agreement." Asked by the Guardian whether anything was 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 requests for comment. North Korea has said nothing. Analyst Cho Han-bum of the Korea Institute for National Unification calls the transfer "a fatal matter" for Pyongyang, which has built a heroic narrative around its troops and glorified soldiers who killed themselves rather than be captured. Two men who survived and chose the South directly contradict that mythology. The regime is unlikely to disclose the transfer domestically. The broader strategic cost is real. South Korea condemned Russia's 2022 invasion, joined Western sanctions, and pledged a $100 million support package in July. But Seoul 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 invasion, Russia was one of South Korea's biggest trading partners. Lee's government is also pursuing improved relations with Pyongyang — a priority directly complicated by this incident. The dispute has now converted cautious support into open hostility from Lee's own camp. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-joo declared there was "no reason or need" to support Ukraine and urged the government to review its aid "immediately." Two captured soldiers have given Seoul's domestic critics the pretext to reframe the entire Ukraine relationship — and Zelenskyy's UN disclosure, whether it broke a formal agreement or not, handed them the ammunition.
