SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT CRITICIZES ZELENSKYY OVER NORTH KOREAN POW DISCLOSURE
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has sharply criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, accusing Ukraine of violating a confidentiality agreement by disclosing at the United Nations that North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea.
Lee said those who harm the lives of others, national interests or national security for personal gain could be described as “assassins or traitors.”
The South Korean president said he did not know the circumstances that led Ukraine to disclose the information despite the confidentiality agreement, but described the disclosure itself as “deeply regrettable.”
Lee warned that the incident could have serious consequences for diplomacy, national security and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula.
The controversy comes amid heightened tensions surrounding North Korea’s involvement in the Russia-Ukraine war and the fate of North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces.