---
title: "Seoul Scandal Over North Korean POWs: OP Responds to Accusations"
description: "The Office of the President of Ukraine responded to South Korea's accusations over disclosing information about the transfer of North Korean POWs, stating there were no obligations to hide it."
date: 2026-09-25T10:28:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/seoul-scandal-over-north-korean-pows-op-responds
tags: [north-korea, south-korea, ukraine, zelenskyy, pows, diplomacy]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Seoul Scandal Over North Korean POWs: OP Responds to Accusations

![Seoul Scandal Over North Korean POWs](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/25/skandal-s-seulom-iz-za-plennyh-kndr/skandal-s-seulom-iz-za-plennyh-kndr-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The OP of Ukraine stated Kyiv made no commitments to hide the transfer of North Korean POWs.
- The South Korean president accused Ukraine of violating confidentiality agreements.
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly announced the transfer of two North Korean soldiers on September 23, 2026, at the UN General Assembly.

The Office of the President of Ukraine has rejected accusations from Seoul regarding the violation of confidentiality agreements during the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers. Kyiv emphasized that the Ukrainian side had not committed to completely hiding this information from the public.

### Position of the Office of the President of Ukraine

According to a source in the Office of the President of Ukraine, Kyiv never conceals information concerning prisoners, as citizens have the right to know about such processes. At the same time, it was noted that the Ukrainian side did not disclose significant details of the transfer process itself.

### Contradictory Data

The diplomatic tension was sparked by accusations from South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who stated that Kyiv violated preliminary confidentiality agreements. According to Seoul, disclosing the fact that two prisoners of war were handed over creates diplomatic risks and threatens the safety of these soldiers' families remaining in North Korea. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side insists that only the mere fact of the transfer was announced publicly without revealing sensitive details, and completely keeping such information secret would look inappropriate.

### Background

The conflict erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially announced the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to the South Korean side from the UN General Assembly rostrum on September 23, 2026. According to the Ukrainian leader, capturing such prisoners is extremely difficult; in particular, one of the North Korean servicemen attempted suicide upon detention.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Скандал с Сеулом из-за пленных КНДР: в ОП ответили на обвинение](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/skandal-seulom-cherez-polonenih-kndr-op-vidpovili-1790331957.html) - Источник в ОП подтвердил отсутствие договоренностей о скрытии информации.
- [Yonhap: солдаты КНДР ненадолго пересекли границу с Южной Кореей](https://news.mail.ru/politics/72008043/) - Подтверждено по источнику news.mail.ru
- [Бывшие северокорейские солдаты используют телефоны вместо оружия](https://www.epochtimes.ru/content/view/41501/9/) - Подтверждено по источнику epochtimes.ru

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why did a scandal arise between Kyiv and Seoul?
**A:** The scandal arose due to a public statement regarding the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea, which Seoul claimed violated confidentiality agreements.

### Q: What was the response from the Office of the President of Ukraine?
**A:** The OP stated that Ukraine never promised to hide this information and the public has the right to know about the fate of prisoners.