Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed in his U.N. General Assembly speech that two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia had recently been sent to South Korea. The soldiers arrived in the country three to four days earlier, according to opposition lawmaker Yoo Yong-won.
The disclosure immediately triggered criticism from the conservative People Power Party over why South Koreans had learned of the transfer from the Ukrainian president rather than their own government.
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, asked on social media why “our people had to hear from the Ukrainian president’s U.N. speech” that the North Korean soldiers had come to South Korea.
Ahn called on Lee to explain the circumstances surrounding the transfer and accused the administration of hiding the case. He also raised speculative questions about whether Seoul had intended to return the soldiers to North Korea, allegations for which he presented no evidence.
Yoo Yong-won, another PPP lawmaker, said at a National Assembly press conference that such a significant development should have been announced first by the South Korean government rather than by Zelenskyy.
He claimed the men had safely arrived in South Korea several days earlier.
“Government affairs should be conducted for the country and its people, not for the interests or popularity of those in power,” Lee wrote in a post on X later Thursday, while the presidential office and foreign ministry remain evasive on the matter.
He said the transfer of the North Korean prisoners was an “extremely sensitive issue” with potential consequences for diplomacy, national security and developments on the Korean Peninsula.
“Considering the various problems that could arise from disclosure, keeping it confidential was appropriate in every respect, and that was what had been agreed,” Lee said, adding there had naturally been internal arguments for making the transfer public because it could have helped the government politically, but that security considerations and the safety of those involved took priority.
He rejected opposition criticism of the secrecy as unjustified and accused critics of putting political gain above lives and national interests.
Lee then turned his criticism toward Kyiv.
“I don’t know what circumstances there may have been, but it is very regrettable that the Ukrainian side disclosed it in violation of the confidentiality agreement,” he wrote. His remarks marked a rare public rebuke of Ukraine by Seoul and exposed a disagreement between the two governments over how the politically sensitive transfer should have been handled.
The two soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region and later expressed a desire to go to South Korea. Their transfer followed months of behind-the-scenes talks between Seoul and Kyiv, according to local reports.
Lee ended his post by calling for an early end to wars in which “countless people are killed or injured and everything is destroyed.”
Separately, Lee again ruled out seeking to remain in office beyond his current term during a meeting with Korean residents in Mexico City, where he is on a state visit.
“I will take good care of the country at least while I am in office so that you will not have to worry about South Korea,” Lee said at a dinner with the Korean community on Thursday.
“There will absolutely be no going beyond June 2, 2030, so those who are worried about that should not worry,” he said. The date falls at the end of Lee’s current presidential term, making the remark his latest rejection of speculation that constitutional revision could be used to extend his tenure.
At a press conference on Sept. 18, Lee said a constitutional amendment allowing him to seek another term would not apply to the incumbent president and added that he had “absolutely no intention” of seeking reelection.
AJP Takeaways
- Seoul says Kyiv broke a confidentiality agreement. Lee said South Korea and Ukraine had agreed to keep the transfer of the two North Korean POWs undisclosed because of its diplomatic and security sensitivity.
- The disclosure has become a domestic political dispute in Seoul. Opposition lawmakers accused the government of hiding the transfer, while Lee said secrecy was intended to protect lives, national interests and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
- Zelenskyy’s U.N. revelation created an awkward diplomatic moment for Lee abroad. The news broke while Lee was on a state visit to Mexico, forcing him to publicly criticize Ukraine even as Seoul continues broader cooperation with Kyiv.
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