Cheong Wa Dae: "Ukraine Contacted Us Before Disclosing North Korean POWs ... It Differed From the Understanding to Keep the Matter Private"

 [Financial News, Mexico City (Mexico) — Reporter Choi Jong-geun]After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he had recently sent two North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces to South Korea, Cheong Wa Dae said the South Korean government had been informed of the matter in advance. However, it expressed regret that the matter had been made public, as the two countries had understood that it would be handled quietly without disclosure.
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official told reporters at the Mexico City Press Center on the 24th (local time), "It is not the case that we heard the speech without knowing anything in advance. We knew through diplomatic channels that there were indications it could be included. We were contacted."
The official added, "Ukraine had given us some advance notice. It had also asked for our understanding."
However, the senior Cheong Wa Dae official pointed out, "In the course of consultations with Ukraine, there was an understanding that the matter would be handled quietly without being disclosed. Since President Zelenskyy mentioned it in his address to the United Nations General Assembly, it is true that the situation became somewhat different from what we had originally understood."
The official added, "It seems the president expressed some disappointment about that."
President Lee Jae Myung, who was on a state visit to Mexico, said on X that day that, regarding President Zelenskyy's address to the United Nations General Assembly, "I do not know what circumstances led the Ukrainian side to disclose the matter in breach of the understanding to keep it private, but it is quite regrettable."
The senior Cheong Wa Dae official said, "Of course, once the matter becomes known, those involved are exposed to danger. But the movements of people seeking to obstruct such efforts and prevent an amicable resolution have also become more aggressive. As a result, it has become difficult to resolve the matter quickly, smoothly and safely. There was also an understanding in consultations with Ukraine that the matter would be handled quietly without disclosure. The reason was to take into account the safety and human rights of the individuals involved and their families."
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter