Seoul:Ukraine initially requested that the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea be kept confidential, as confirmed by Seoul's spy agency on Wednesday. Both countries agreed to maintain secrecy from the beginning of the transfer process.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) informed the National Assembly's intelligence committee that the North Korean soldiers arrived in South Korea in mid-September and were in good health. This disclosure followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement during a United Nations address that Ukraine had sent these soldiers to South Korea after capturing them last year.

Following Zelenskyy's disclosure, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's office accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement intended to protect the soldiers by keeping the transfer secret. However, a Ukrainian presidential official reportedly denied the existence of such an agreement.

In response to the denial, South Korea's foreign ministry summoned Andrii Vieshkin, the acting ambassador of Ukraine to South Korea, to express strong concerns over Ukraine's stance on the confidentiality agreement.