SEOUL, September 30 (AJP) - Ukraine handed over two captured North Korean soldiers in respect for their wishes without any conditions attached and asked the transfer kept discreet, Seoul's spy agency told lawmakers Wednesday.
In a closed-door briefing to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) confirmed Kyiv had requested strict secrecy from the early stages of consultations, according to People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha.
Ukraine was concerned that disclosure could have a negative impact on future prisoner-exchange negotiations with Russia, the agency said.
The revelation comes as Seoul and Kyiv remain locked in a diplomatic dispute over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's disclosure at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23 that the two North Korean prisoners had been transferred to South Korea.
Seoul says the disclosure violated an agreement between the two governments to keep the transfer secret, while Ukraine has denied that such an agreement existed. South Korea's presidential office has demanded an official explanation and apology, saying Kyiv's denial damaged trust between the two governments.
The Foreign Ministry also summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador in Seoul on Sept. 28 to lodge a formal protest. As of Wednesday, Ukraine had not apologized or expressed regret over the disclosure, according to the NIS.
The two arrived in mid-September in healthy state, according its account.
AJP Takeaways
- Ukraine was the first to request that the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea be kept confidential, Seoul’s spy agency told lawmakers.
- An Intelligence Committee member, speaking on condition of anonymity, separately confirmed to AJP that Kyiv had initiated the secrecy request.
- The disclosure adds pressure to an escalating Seoul-Kyiv dispute after Ukraine publicly revealed the transfer, which South Korea says breached a confidentiality agreement.
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