Seoul accuses Ukraine of violating secrecy pact on North Korean soldiers

{"text":[[{"start":10.28,"text":"An extraordinary diplomatic row has erupted between South Korea and Ukraine as Seoul accused Kyiv of violating a secrecy agreement over the fate of captured North Korean soldiers."}],[{"start":21.9,"text":"The dispute was sparked by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s speech at the UN General Assembly in New York last week, when he revealed that two North Korean soldiers captured in Russia had been sent to South Korea."}],[{"start":34.7,"text":"South Korea’s senior presidential secretary Sung Ki-hong late on Sunday evening expressed “strong regret” over Ukraine’s decision to “unilaterally and abruptly” make the transfer public."}],[{"start":45.96,"text":"He said Ukraine had requested the transfer be kept confidential, to which Seoul had agreed because of the sensitivity of the matter. “We demand an official explanation and an apology,” he added."}],[{"start":57.16,"text":"Dmytro Lytvyn, Zelenskyy’s communications adviser, denied South Korea’s accusations, writing on Facebook that “there was no such agreement”."}],[{"start":65.56,"text":"The incident has driven a wedge between South Korea and Ukraine despite their shared interest in countering North Korea’s military partnership with Russia. Kyiv has sought arms from South Korea — one of the world’s biggest weapons manufacturers — as well as much-needed US-made Patriot interceptor missiles, but Seoul has refused, citing its policy of only providing humanitarian aid to active war zones."}],[{"start":88.3,"text":"Senior officials in Kyiv have also expressed deep frustration with what they see as Seoul’s deepening business ties with Moscow, pointing to the transfer of 30,000 metric tonnes of refined fuels to Russia in July."}],[{"start":100.86,"text":"South Korea last month also conducted a test voyage through the Arctic Northern Sea Route, which requires Moscow’s co-operation."}],[{"start":108.32,"text":"The two North Korean soldiers were wounded and captured in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. Ukrainian intelligence agencies estimate that about 50,000 North Korean troops have been sent to fight for Moscow, along with ballistic missiles and heavy artillery systems."}],[{"start":124.6,"text":"The pair are the only North Korean soldiers known to have survived capture, and both expressed a desire to go to South Korea when interviewed by South Korean media."}],[{"start":133.4,"text":"In July, South Korea and Ukraine agreed to treat the prisoners “in a manner consistent with international law and humanitarian principles, while respecting the free will of the individuals involved”, according to a readout from Seoul’s foreign ministry."}],[{"start":146.92,"text":"A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the matter said the transfer was discussed at length during a foreign ministers’ meeting in June, but there was “no agreement” at the presidential level not to disclose the prisoners’ transfer."}],[{"start":159.4,"text":"The Ukrainian official said it was “strange to expect that we could hide the story after they talked about it the whole summer”."}],[{"start":166.48,"text":"The Ukrainian embassy in Seoul did not respond to a request for comment."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":170.92,"text":"The South Korean embassy in Kyiv said it “maintains a consistent stance [on] the issue of North Korean POWs in Ukraine”, adding that it had been in “consultations with Ukraine and relevant international entities”."}],[{"start":183.64,"text":"In North Korea, the families of defectors or those considered traitors to the regime can face collective punishment such as internment or forced labour."}],[{"start":192.92,"text":"“From a human rights point of view, Ukraine has done a lot of damage to the welfare of these soldiers and their families,” said Peter Ward, a research fellow at the Sejong Institute. “The South Korean media should probably never have been granted access to them. Ideally, their capture should have been kept permanently secret.”"}],[{"start":210.12,"text":"The row has also created a domestic political problem for South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung, who has sought to strike a more conciliatory tone with Pyongyang and drawn accusations of appeasing the regime."}],[{"start":221.6,"text":"Jeong Jeom-sig, the floor leader of the opposition People Power Party, accused Lee last week of being afraid to upset North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and “begging [Pyongyang] for a sham peace”."}],[{"start":237.8,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1790596525_9603.mp3"}