Report to National Assembly on Repatriation of Two North Korean Soldiers Causes 'Confusion'; Communication Breakdown Over Confidential Agreement

[Financial News] Major confusion arose on the 30th during a briefing to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee on the undisclosed repatriation to South Korea of two North Korean prisoners of war.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) had previously stated that there had been confidential consultations between the two countries. However, controversy erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy broke the confidentiality agreement and publicly disclosed the repatriation at the United Nations General Assembly.
On the 30th, Yoo Young-ha, a People Power Party secretary on the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, said at a briefing after receiving a report from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), "There were no confidential discussions or agreements between President Lee and President Zelenskyy at the leaders' level." He added, "There was a confidential agreement reached as diplomatic authorities and embassy officials communicated with one another." If Yoo's briefing was accurate, there had been a communication problem between working-level officials at Cheong Wa Dae and MOFA.
As controversy mounted, the NIS quickly issued a separate statement to clarify the matter. The NIS said it would provide the accurate facts regarding the statement made during the NIS liaison's briefing to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee that "there were no agreements or consultations between the leaders."
The NIS explained, "We do not know whether there was an agreement between the leaders, but there was a confidential agreement through multiple channels, including calls between the foreign ministers of the two countries and consultations between the embassy on the ground and Ukraine's Foreign Ministry." It said Yoo had made an error while relaying the NIS briefing.
Earlier, Cheong Wa Dae had expressed regret, saying that President Zelenskyy had broken a confidentiality pledge and disclosed the matter. Moreover, MOFA went so far as to summon Ukraine's acting ambassador to the Republic of Korea to lodge a diplomatic protest.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo, Song Ji-won Reporter