Sep 24, 2026
MEXICO CITY — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday expressed regret that Ukraine has disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea, calling it a breach of a non-disclosure agreement that he said may lead to many problems. "It was appropriate in every aspect not to disclose, considering many problems it may cause when disclosed, and (we) had agreed to do so," Lee said in a post on his X account, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Ukraine recently sent the two North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Shortly after Zelenskyy's speech, the Ukrainian presidential office said the transfer of the two North Korean prisoners to South Korea was carried out through direct dialogue with Seoul. "(Ukraine) disclosed the transfer in breach of a non-disclosure agreement," Lee wrote. "I don't know the reasons (for the disclosure), but I regret it." Lee said the issue is a very sensitive matter that could immensely affect diplomacy and national security, as well as th