Govind Tekale
The Secret Deal Zelenskyy Exposed
South Korea warned Ukraine on September 28 that further diplomatic consequences would follow if Kyiv did not apologize. The demand came after President Zelenskyy exposed a secret prisoner transfer at the UN General Assembly.
Two North Korean soldiers were handed over to Seoul by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine had requested confidentiality from Seoul. Zelenskyy then went public at the UN. Seoul reacted by demanding an apology.
The transfer was never meant for daylight. Ukraine’s primary reason for requesting secrecy was to avoid domestic Ukrainian backlash over a missed prisoner-exchange opportunity. Seoul wanted the soldiers protected from retaliation. Pyongyang and Moscow both deny any involvement, but how two DPRK personnel ended up in Ukrainian custody remains murky.
The soldiers were North Korean troops deployed by Pyongyang’s government to assist Russia’s military. Both were captured in combat during the Ukraine conflict. Ukraine transferred them to South Korea under the Geneva Convention obligation to protect POWs from persecution.
Seoul’s Presidential Office confirmed the transfer on September 27–28, when Seoul first demanded the apology. No details on what further action would entail.
Two Men, Three Governments, One Impossible Position
The two soldiers are the first North Korean military personnel formally transferred to South Korea as POWs under international law. There is no legal precedent for this. No treaty covers this scenario. No manual tells Seoul how to proceed.
Under Geneva Convention III, POWs must be protected. They cannot be returned to a country where they face punishment for lawful acts of war. North Korean soldiers deployed by Pyongyang to assist Russia fall into a gray zone — they are not traditional prisoners of war, but they are not volunteers either.
South Korea faces a choice. Return the men to North Korea, where they risk torture or execution. Keep them, and anger Moscow and Pyongyang. The US-South Korea alliance adds pressure. Washington wants Seoul aligned on Russia sanctions. This dispute complicates that alignment.
The families of the two men are left in the dark. Pyongyang does not confirm its citizens are involved. Moscow denies any role. The soldiers themselves have no voice in the diplomatic argument.
Ukraine’s position is clear: the men deserve protection under international law. Seoul’s position is equally clear: the transfer must be formalized, but quietly. Zelenskyy made quiet impossible by going public at the UN.
The irreplicable observation here is structural. Three governments are negotiating over two men who never asked to be in this position. Kyiv initiated the secrecy request, then violated its own confidentiality agreement by going public at UNGA. The soldiers became collateral in a disagreement between allies.
What happens to North Korean soldiers who end up in South Korea? Under the Geneva Convention, they must be protected. South Korea cannot return them to North Korea where they face punishment, torture, or execution. This creates an immediate humanitarian obligation that overrides diplomatic pressure. Seoul must treat these men as protected persons, not bargaining chips.
The bigger question is whether this sets a precedent. If North Korean personnel can be transferred to South Korea as POWs, it opens a channel for future defections under fire. It also tests whether the Geneva Convention applies to state-deployed conscripts in non-state conflicts.
Seoul has warned Ukraine. The deadline for an apology is unclear. The soldiers remain in South Korean custody. The next move belongs to Kyiv. Check back for updates as this story develops.
