Zelensky violated confidentiality over North Korean troops, Seoul says

South Korea's president said Ukraine violated a confidentiality agreement by publicly revealing details about North Korean prisoners of war, marking a fresh point of contention between Seoul and Kyiv over the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia's invasion.

The accusation centres on Ukraine's public disclosure of captured North Korean soldiers, which South Korea had sought to keep confidential for diplomatic and intelligence reasons. Seoul has been closely monitoring North Korean military involvement in the conflict, viewing it as a significant escalation with broader security implications for the Korean peninsula.

The dispute underscores tensions in the relationship between South Korea and Ukraine despite Seoul's support for Kyiv. While South Korea has provided humanitarian aid and pledged non-lethal military assistance, it has maintained a cautious diplomatic position regarding its own security concerns, particularly regarding North Korea's activities.

North Korea has not formally acknowledged deploying troops to support Russia, though intelligence agencies in South Korea and the West have confirmed the presence of North Korean soldiers on the battlefield. The disclosure of captured troops represents rare, tangible evidence of this involvement and has complicated diplomatic efforts to address the issue through back-channel communications.