SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s intelligence agency stated Wednesday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent public disclosure of a supposed covert transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul was likely intended to generate public support within this Asian democracy for enhanced assistance to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy’s revelation during his United Nations address last week of the captured soldiers’ transfer has shocked South Korea and provoked strong objections. Seoul has demanded that Kyiv apologize and explain the breach of what it characterized as a nondisclosure agreement regarding the transfer. Ukraine has denied agreeing to any such arrangement.
The controversy surrounding the disclosure has disrupted the traditionally cordial relations between Kyiv and Seoul, though it remains uncertain whether this could escalate into more significant consequences.
The soldiers were among thousands dispatched by North Korea to assist Russia in repelling a Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region, as part of the expanding cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow. North Korea has also supplied conventional weapons to Russia.
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service conducted a closed-door meeting with a parliamentary committee on Wednesday regarding the matter.
According to lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha, who attended the meeting, the committee was informed that no apology or expression of regret had been received from Ukraine—either through official or unofficial channels.
The intelligence service assessed that Zelenskyy likely disclosed the transfer to rally public support in South Korea for supplying weapons and other assistance to Ukraine, Yoo stated.
Yoo did not provide further details or explain how the intelligence service reached its assessment.
South Korea has provided humanitarian aid and other support to Ukraine but has avoided sending weapons, consistent with its policy of not supplying arms to nations actively engaged in conflict.
According to the intelligence service, the North Korean POWs arrived in South Korea in mid-September and have no significant health issues, according to another lawmaker, Yun Kun-young, who was also present at the meeting. The agency reported that while in Ukraine, the soldiers expressed their desire to resettle in South Korea, according to Yun.
North Korea has not publicly commented on the transfer but has previously claimed that major defections of its citizens resulted from South Korea abducting them or enticing them to flee.
South Korean officials expressed concern about the safety of the two soldiers and their relatives in North Korea. Experts note there were also worries that the transfer could provoke protests from the North and undermine efforts to restart Pyongyang’s negotiations with the United States.
Yun also stated that the intelligence service estimates approximately 9,000 North Korean soldiers were engaged in surveillance operations in the Kursk region.
He further noted that lawmakers were informed Russia has provided North Korea with weapons technologies to support its military modernization plans but has been reluctant to transfer cutting-edge technology related to the construction of nuclear-powered submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The intelligence service also assessed that the teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has solidified her status as her father’s likely heir after attending numerous public events and receiving increased ceremonial treatment, Yun said.
He quoted the service as stating Kim’s daughter—reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and approximately 13—made about 30 public appearances with her father so far this year, the highest figure in the corresponding period since she first appeared publicly in late 2022.
Some experts caution against viewing her as her father’s successor, citing North Korea’s strongly male-dominated power hierarchy.
Yoo, the lawmaker, said the service described Kim’s daughter as attempting to project a more mature image by wearing women’s suits and pointed-toe heels. The intelligence agency has previously made assessments of Kim Jong Un’s health conditions using artificial intelligence techniques, super-resolution video analyses, and other methods.
Also during Wednesday’s meeting, the intelligence agency reported Kim is still severely obese but shows no signs of other health problems, Yun said.