South Korean spy agency says Zelenskyy sought support for Ukraine

South Korea's spy agency has assessed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea was likely intended to build public support for greater assistance to Ukraine, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

South Korea’s spy agency has assessed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea was likely intended to build public support for greater assistance to Ukraine, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) made the assessment during a briefing to the National Assembly’s intelligence committee, according to opposition lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha.

The agency said the disclosure was likely aimed at generating public support in South Korea for supplying weapons and other assistance to Ukraine, Yoo told reporters after the briefing.

Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer during an address to the United Nations General Assembly this month, prompting Seoul to demand an official explanation and apology from Kyiv. South Korea has said the two countries had agreed to keep the transfer confidential, while Ukraine has denied that such a non-disclosure agreement existed.

South Korea has provided humanitarian and other non-military assistance to Ukraine but has maintained a policy of not supplying weapons to countries actively involved in armed conflict.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region in 2025 after being deployed there to support Russian forces. They were transferred to South Korea in mid-September following consultations between Seoul and Kyiv.

The NIS said Wednesday that Ukraine had initially requested that the transfer remain confidential, citing concerns including the possible impact on prisoner exchanges, according to Yoo.

The soldiers have expressed a desire to remain in South Korea, according to earlier reports, while Seoul has cited humanitarian and security concerns surrounding their transfer.