Seoul demands apology after Zelenskyy reveals North Korean prisoners of war transfer

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korea called for an official apology from Ukraine after the Ukrainian president revealed what Seoul says was supposed to be a secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the U.N. General Assembly last week that Ukraine had recently sent the men to South Korea after capturing them on a Ukraine-Russia battlefield in early 2025. The two are among thousands of North Korean soldiers sent to support Russia’s war against Ukraine.South Korean President Lee Jae Myung quickly accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement about the transfer. Ukraine denied making such a deal.Seong Ghi-hong, a senior presidential adviser for Lee on public relations, expressed “strong regret” on Sunday over Ukraine’s latest actions and demanded an official apology and explanation.Seong said in a statement that Ukraine’s “false” statement denying the nondisclosure agreement was “an act that seriously undermines trust between the two governments and causes significant damage to friendly relations between the two countries.” Seong said the two countries had earlier reached the agreement as Seoul was concerned about the safety of ...