“This undermines trust”: South Korea protests to Ukraine over disclosure of a secret agreement on the transfer of North Korean prisoners

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea summoned Ukraine’s Chargé d’Affaires in Seoul, Andrii Vieshkin, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. This is stated in a statement by the South Korean Foreign Ministry, reports UNN. 

"First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Park Yoon-joo summoned Andrii Vieshkin, Chargé d’Affaires of Ukraine to the Republic of Korea, to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and conveyed to him the firm position of the Government of the Republic of Korea regarding the repatriation of prisoners of war from North Korea," the statement said. 

According to the Foreign Ministry, Park expressed deep regret that, despite a clear confidential agreement between South Korea and Ukraine regarding the repatriation of prisoners of war from North Korea, Ukraine "without sufficient prior explanations or specific consultations, unilaterally and unexpectedly disclosed information about the arrival of prisoners of war from North Korea in South Korea" during a recent session of the UN General Assembly, and that the press service of the Office of the President of Ukraine subsequently published "a false report that no confidential agreement existed." 

Park stressed that the Ukrainian side’s publication of false information about the absence of a confidential agreement seriously undermines trust between the governments of both countries and harms friendly relations between them. 

"He demanded an official explanation and an apology from the Government of Ukraine regarding the unilateral disclosure of information about the repatriation of prisoners of war from North Korea and the dissemination of false information, and also called for preventing such incidents from recurring in the future. Chargé d’Affaires Vieshkin listened carefully to the position of the Government of the Republic of Korea and promised to accurately report it to his country," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. 

Update

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine had handed over two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. 

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated that Ukraine had disclosed information about handing over two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, despite a prior agreement to keep the process secret. According to him, the disclosure could create problems for diplomacy and national security.

The Office of the President of South Korea demanded official explanations and an apology from Ukraine, accusing Kyiv of disclosing information about the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.