Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is facing internal controversy over the public announcement of the return of two North Korean war prisoners to South Korea.
According to Yonhap News on September 26, local Ukrainian media outlets, including Ukrainska Pravda and Interfax, reported that Oksana Torop, a media advisor to Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Ukraine's ambassador to the UK, criticized Zelensky's announcement on Facebook.
Torop claimed there was an agreement between the two countries to keep the return confidential, labeling Zelensky's disclosure a "show." She stated, "The issue is that there was a non-disclosure agreement between the two countries. This is a show, exaggerated publicity, and a strong effect for dramatic scenes. This is just the beginning."
In response, Dmitro Litvin, an advisor to Zelensky, directly commented on Torop's post, refuting her claims. Litvin asserted, "There was no such (non-disclosure) agreement. That is not true," and argued that concealing where specific prisoners were being sent was also wrong.
As Torop reiterated her assertion that the POW issue was addressed during negotiations with South Korea and that a non-disclosure agreement existed, Litvin continued to counter, stating, "There was no agreement to remain silent."
The public exchange between the two sides began when a member of Zaluzhnyi's team, seen as a political rival to Zelensky, openly criticized the president's actions.
Earlier, on September 23, during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Zelensky announced that Ukraine had recently returned two North Korean war prisoners to South Korea. The South Korean government stated that it had agreed with Ukraine to keep the return confidential, but Ukraine has publicly disclosed it.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung expressed on social media platform X on September 24 that the issue of returning North Korean prisoners is a highly sensitive topic that significantly impacts diplomacy, security, and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. He noted, "Considering the various issues that could arise from making this public, it was reasonable to keep it confidential, and that was the agreement."
He added, "Ukraine violated the non-disclosure agreement and made it public. I do not know the circumstances, but it is quite disappointing."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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