Blue House demands formal apology from Kyiv over POW transfer disclosure

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hae-kyung arrive in Korea on Sept. 27, 2026, after deplaning from the presidential jet at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. (Yonhap)

The Blue House demanded a formal explanation and apology from Ukraine on Sunday in response to claims from Kyiv that there was “no non-disclosure agreement” regarding its decision to transfer two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

In a position statement that day, Seong Ghi-hong, the presidential secretary for public relations and communication, expressed “serious dismay at the Ukrainian’s government’s unilateral disclosure in violation of our agreement and its subsequent false claims that there was no non-disclosure agreement.”

He also said the administration was “considering necessary additional measures with regard to this issue.”

“While it is quite a serious issue in itself that Ukraine would unilaterally disclose [this information] in violation of our two sides’ non-disclosure agreement and without prior discussion or even notification, the actions of the press office of the Ukrainian Presidential Office in responding to our president’s legitimate and fact-based public remarks by falsely stating that there was ‘no non-disclosure agreement’ are severely damaging to trust between our governments and create serious obstacles to friendly relations between us,” the spokesperson said. 

In a message posted on X on Thursday during a visit to Mexico as a state guest, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s remarks in a UN General Assembly speech, where he said that two North Korean POWs captured by Ukrainian forces had recently been sent to South Korea.

“I do not know Ukraine’s reasons for disclosing [this information] in violation of our non-disclosure agreement, but it is very dismaying,” he stated.

The Blue House’s latest position statement came in response to a social media post by Zelenskyy’s aide Dmytro Lytvyn, who stated that there had been “no agreement” not to disclose the terms and that Lee’s claims of one existing were “not true.”

Seong said the transfer of the North Korean POWs to South Korea is a “highly sensitive issue both internationally and domestically in terms of security, diplomacy, national defense, and human rights,” and one that has been the subject of extensive discussions for considerable time. 

He also explained that Kyiv had discussed the POW transfer issue with Seoul on multiple occasions through various channels.

“They requested security during the discussions, asking that the transfer to South Korea not be disclosed because it was a highly sensitive issue that could lead to domestic condemnation and raise questions over whether the move would undermine potential opportunities to secure the release of their own POWs through an exchange,” he continued.

“The South Korean side likewise agreed on non-disclosure in pursuing the transfer procedures out of consideration for various aspects, including the safety of the POWs in question and their family members and matters of foreign affairs and national security,” he added.

Seong went on to say, “Nevertheless, the Ukrainian government unexpectedly disclosed the fact that North Korean POWs had been sent to South Korea in this presidential speech at the UN General Assembly, acting unilaterally without sufficient prior explanation or concrete discussions on the issue.”

“After President Lee expressed his dismay over the announcement in violation of the non-disclosure agreement because of the unnecessary controversy that this causes domestically, the Ukrainian presidential office has now stated, contrary to the facts, that there was ‘no non-disclosure agreement,’ without any discussions, understanding, or even prior announcement,” he continued.

“As a result, there are now accusations at home that the president was ‘lying,’” he said.

Seong further called for restraint from the political opposition and others attempting to turn the matter into a political issue.

“It is very regrettable that there are some people in the country who choose to turn a sensitive diplomatic and security issue into fodder for political attacks, taking Ukraine’s side though it is wrong and hurting Korea’s interests, rather than criticize the Ukrainian government for its wrongdoing,” Seong said. 

“I ask that they refrain from making unverified and false claims that contradict the facts,” he said.