[Anchor]

Cheong Wa Dae has directly refuted Ukraine's claim that there was never an agreement to keep the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war confidential. Accusing Ukraine of not only breaching the non-disclosure agreement but also making a false announcement, the presidential office demanded an explanation and an apology.

Reporter Park Ye-rin reports.

[Reporter]

Cheong Wa Dae issued a statement expressing strong regret to the Ukrainian government over the public disclosure of the North Korean POWs' repatriation to South Korea, demanding an apology and an explanation.

The presidential office stated that Ukraine violated the bilateral non-disclosure agreement by revealing the repatriation without prior consultation or notification, and that the Ukrainian presidential press office then falsely announced that no such confidentiality agreement had existed.

During an address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise public disclosure that two North Korean prisoners of war were sent to South Korea.

[Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Ukrainian President: Recently, we sent two North Korean prisoners of war captured by the Ukrainian military to the Republic of Korea.]

In response, President Lee Jae-myung expressed regret on social media, stating that Ukraine had "breached the non-disclosure agreement," after which an official from the Ukrainian presidential office countered that Ukraine "did not promise confidentiality," sparking a dispute over the truth.

Cheong Wa Dae stated that Ukraine "severely damaged trust" with its false announcement, detailing the background of the negotiations.

According to Cheong Wa Dae, the Ukrainian side requested that the transfer be kept confidential, citing concerns over potential domestic backlash that it was giving up an opportunity to exchange the North Korean POWs for multiple Ukrainian captives, and the South Korean government also agreed to keep it private out of consideration for the safety of the prisoners and their families.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it summoned Andrii Beshkin, Ukraine's chargé d'affaires to South Korea, strongly protesting the release of false information and demanding an explanation, an apology, and measures to prevent a recurrence.

Cheong Wa Dae also stated that some domestic figures are politicizing diplomatic and security issues and harming the national interest, calling on them to refrain from making false claims.

The People Power Party sharpened its criticism, arguing that being more sensitive about the public disclosure than the repatriation itself amounts to "walking on eggshells around North Korea," while the Democratic Party pushed back, calling the criticism "outdated red-baiting."

Video by Ha Ryung and Yoon Hyeong | Video Editing by Oh Young-taek | Graphics by Han Heung-soo