韩国要求乌克兰就公开移交朝鲜战俘道歉并警告将采取应对措施South Korea Demands Ukraine Apologize Over North Korean POW Disclosure

乌克兰总统泽连斯基在联合国大会演讲中提及，乌军于2025年1月在俄罗斯库尔斯克地区作战时俘虏了朝鲜士兵，近期已将表达定居意愿的两名朝鲜战俘移交给大韩民国。韩国外交部对此迅速作出反应，召见乌克兰驻韩国大使安德里·维埃什金并要求乌方就单方面公开移交一事作出解释与正式道歉。

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed in his speech to the UN General Assembly that Ukrainian forces had captured North Korean soldiers while fighting in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025 and recently sent two of them to the Republic of Korea after they expressed a wish to resettle there. South Korea's Foreign Ministry reacted quickly by summoning Ukraine's ambassador to Seoul, Andrii Vieshkin, to demand an official explanation and a formal apology for what Seoul characterized as a unilateral disclosure of the transfer.

韩国总统李在明随后在社交媒体平台X上发文指出，朝鲜战俘移交属于涉及朝鲜半岛外交与国家安全的高度敏感议题。他表示乌克兰单方面披露信息并在事后否认曾达成保密协议，使韩国领导人形象受损，属于关乎大韩民国国民与国家荣誉的事件，因此韩方无法对此置之不理。李在明明确警告，若乌方持续拒绝承认事实并公开道歉，韩国将采取额外措施。

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung subsequently addressed the issue on the social media platform X, stating that the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war is a sensitive matter with wide-ranging consequences for diplomacy and national security on the Korean Peninsula. Lee said Kyiv's unilateral announcement and subsequent denial of any secrecy agreement harmed his standing by making him appear untruthful, adding that the country cannot overlook a situation affecting the honor of the South Korean nation and its people. He warned that Seoul will proceed with additional measures if Ukraine continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and provide a public apology.

针对韩国方面的抗议，乌克兰总统府发言人德米特罗·利特温在社交媒体上表示，两国之间根本不存在所谓的保密协议，并认为对外隐瞒战俘移交目的地的做法并不正确。此番言论迅速招致韩国总统府发言人金成完的反驳。金成完称乌方的否认不符合事实，并指出乌克兰此前之所以主动提出保密要求，是出于乌国内舆论考量，担心若未能用这批朝鲜战俘换回被俄方关押的乌军士兵，可能在乌克兰本土招致舆论批评。

In response to Seoul's protests, Ukrainian presidential spokesperson Dmytro Lytvyn wrote on Facebook that no confidentiality agreement existed between the two nations, adding that it was wrong to keep the destination of such transferred prisoners secret. South Korean presidential spokesperson Kim Sung-wan contested Lytvyn's statement as false, asserting that Ukraine had originally requested confidentiality out of concern over potential domestic criticism if the North Korean prisoners were not exchanged for Ukrainian soldiers held in Russian captivity.

韩国政府进一步说明，首尔方面之所以同意对战俘移交予以保密，一方面是基于外交层面的考量，另一方面更在于保护这两名朝鲜士兵及其仍生活在朝鲜境内的家属人身安全。首尔方面警告，公开披露相关信息可能导致留朝家属面临平壤当局的报复威胁。首尔官员亦指出，乌方最初要求保密是因为该事件可能对乌俄战俘交换产生消极作用，但乌方随后的单方面公开与否认表态让双边协商陷入严重分歧。

The South Korean government explained that Seoul consented to the secrecy arrangement for diplomatic reasons and to safeguard the physical safety of the two soldiers and their relatives who remain in North Korea. Seoul officials warned that public disclosures could expose these family members to punitive actions by authorities in Pyongyang. South Korean representatives added that Ukraine had initially sought confidentiality because the transfer could complicate sensitive prisoner swaps with Moscow, making Kyiv's subsequent public announcement and denial of the pact a core source of bilateral dispute.

在双边关系趋紧之际，乌克兰外长西比加于10月1日试图缓和气氛。据乌克兰媒体报道，西比加向记者表示不愿将此事定性为冲突事件，更倾向于视为一场两国期望化解的“外交误解”。他强调韩国对乌克兰而言是重要国家，乌方高度期望保持合作势头并取得务实成果。

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attempted to ease tensions on October 1, telling journalists that he preferred to describe the row as a diplomatic misunderstanding rather than an incident, according to Ukrainian media reports. Sybiha emphasized that South Korea remains an important partner for Ukraine, adding that Kyiv hopes to resolve the issue, maintain momentum in bilateral ties, and continue achieving concrete cooperative results with Seoul.

但首尔方面对乌克兰高级官员近期的言论表示强烈不满。李在明在10月2日发文指出，韩方要求乌方承认保密协议并道歉，但乌克兰方面反而谈及朝韩之间迫在眉睫的军事冲突，犹如在祈求朝鲜半岛爆发战争，韩方对此表达严重遗憾。此前，乌克兰总统府幕僚长基里洛·布达诺夫在受访中称朝鲜参战是为半岛实战做准备，并表示局势每天都在升级，发生引发失控后果的触发事件只是时间问题。

However, Seoul reacted sharply to separate rhetoric coming from senior Ukrainian officials regarding the security situation in East Asia. President Lee Jae Myung said on October 2 that when South Korea demanded an acknowledgement of the confidentiality pact and an apology, Ukrainian representatives instead spoke of an imminent military clash between North and South Korea, which he characterized as praying for war on the Korean Peninsula. Lee's criticism followed an interview by Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Kyrylo Budanov, who argued that North Korea's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict serves as preparation for combat on the Korean Peninsula, adding on Telegram that the situation escalates daily and that an uncontrolled trigger event remains only a matter of time.

基辅“新欧洲中心”亚太问题专家纳塔利娅·布特尔斯卡指出，乌克兰与韩国之间缺乏持续且建立在信任基础上的沟通对话，尤其在首尔现任政府执政期间。她表示，鉴于朝鲜直接对乌克兰作战，两国本应成为并肩协作的天然伙伴，但缺乏互信阻碍了这一关系的建立。布特尔斯卡还提及，俄罗斯通常对外国在押人员不感兴趣，但此前曾专门要求换回这两名朝鲜战俘，甚至一度出现长达六个月拒绝释放乌克兰战俘、坚持要求换回朝鲜士兵的情况。

Nataliya Butyrska, an Asia-Pacific expert at the Kyiv-based New Europe Center, observed that Ukraine and South Korea lack continuous, trust-based dialogue, particularly under Seoul's current administration. She noted that while the two nations should naturally stand shoulder to shoulder given North Korea's military involvement against Ukraine, the absence of mutual trust has hindered closer ties. Butyrska also pointed out that Moscow, which typically shows little interest in foreign captives, had specifically demanded the return of the two North Korean soldiers, refusing to release Ukrainian prisoners of war for a six-month period because it insisted on securing the North Koreans first.

事件在韩国国内同样引发了宪法与党派层面的激烈讨论。根据韩国宪法规定，朝鲜居民在法律上被视作大韩民国国民。韩国在野党议员质疑李在明政府为何起初同意隐瞒移交事宜，并指责李在明试图通过保密向朝鲜示好以缓和半岛局势。常驻乌克兰的韩国问题专家米科拉·波利舒克分析认为，李在明在此事发生后感到意外，正试图将部分责任转嫁给乌克兰，而战俘移交相关事实终究会被公之于众。

The prisoner transfer has also triggered domestic legal and political arguments within South Korea, where the constitution defines North Koreans as citizens of South Korea. South Korean opposition lawmakers have pressed the administration to explain why it initially agreed to keep the transfer quiet, accusing President Lee Jae Myung of seeking to curry favor with Pyongyang in pursuit of easing cross-border tensions. Mykola Polishchuk, a Ukraine-based Korea analyst, suggested that Lee was caught off guard by the public revelation and is now attempting to deflect responsibility onto Kyiv, arguing that the transfer would have become public knowledge eventually.