Seoul – In a briefing with the National Intelligence Service (NIS), People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Yeong‑ha said South Korea did not promise any military assistance to Ukraine in connection with the recent transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers.
Background on the transfer
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced at the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine had handed over the two North Korean detainees to South Korea. The soldiers were captured during fighting in Russia’s Kursk region and were moved to Seoul in mid‑September.
Following Zelenskiy’s disclosure, the South Korean presidential office demanded an official explanation and an apology from Kyiv, alleging that Ukraine had broken a confidentiality agreement intended to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea. Kyiv, however, says no such secrecy pact existed.
No military aid pledge
Yoo, citing the NIS, emphasized that South Korea made no commitment to provide lethal weapons or other military aid to Ukraine as a condition for the transfer. He added that the claim that the transfer was tied to a weapons pledge is unfounded.
The lawmaker suggested that Zelenskiy may have highlighted the transfer in hopes of generating public support in South Korea for supplying weapons to Ukraine, but he denied any formal agreement linking the two actions.
South Korea’s current aid stance
South Korea, a major arms producer, has faced pressure from several Western allies and from Kyiv to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine. To date, the government has focused on non‑lethal assistance, such as de‑mining equipment and humanitarian aid.
The two North Korean soldiers are now in temporary protective custody while the NIS conducts identity verification, security screening, and an assessment of their reasons for leaving North Korea. According to another lawmaker, Youn Kun‑young, who was also briefed by the NIS, the pair have no reported health issues.
Ukraine’s broader concerns
Zelenskiy has warned that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are already on Russian territory and that an additional 10,000 could be deployed. In August, he warned that up to 50,000 North Korean soldiers might be sent to fight for Russia and called on South Korea to help bolster Ukraine’s air‑defence capabilities.
Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not respond to a request for comment.
Implications for regional security
The episode underscores the delicate balance South Korea must maintain between its security alliance with the United States, its economic ties with China, and the growing expectations of its allies for greater support to Ukraine. While the government continues to provide non‑lethal aid, any shift toward lethal assistance would likely require a broader domestic discussion and parliamentary approval.
For now, South Korean officials stress that the transfer of the North Korean detainees is a humanitarian matter handled under existing law, and no military aid conditions have been attached to it.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
