Seoul, September 30: South Korea’s National Intelligence Service has assessed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea may have been aimed at generating greater public support for additional assistance to Ukraine.
Zelenskyy revealed the transfer during his address to the United Nations last week. The disclosure surprised South Korean officials, who said the transfer had been covered by a nondisclosure understanding. Seoul called on Ukraine to explain the disclosure and issue an apology, while Kyiv denied agreeing to such an arrangement.
The issue has caused tensions in the traditionally friendly relations between South Korea and Ukraine.
The two North Korean soldiers were reportedly among thousands of North Korean troops sent to Russia to support its forces in the Kursk region. North Korea has also supplied conventional weapons to Russia as part of its growing military cooperation with Moscow.
South Korea’s intelligence agency briefed a parliamentary committee behind closed doors on Wednesday. Lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha, who attended the meeting, said officials told lawmakers that Ukraine had not issued an apology or expressed regret through either official or unofficial channels.
According to Yoo, the intelligence agency assessed that Zelenskyy may have revealed the transfer in an effort to build support in South Korea for providing weapons and other assistance to Ukraine. He did not provide details on how the agency reached that assessment.
South Korea has provided humanitarian assistance and other support to Ukraine but has maintained a policy against supplying weapons to countries actively involved in armed conflicts.
Another lawmaker, Yun Kun-young, said the intelligence agency told lawmakers that the two North Korean POWs arrived in South Korea in mid-September and were not suffering from major health problems. According to Yun, the soldiers had expressed a desire to settle in South Korea while they were in Ukraine.
North Korea has not publicly commented on the transfer. South Korean officials have expressed concerns about the safety of the soldiers and their relatives in North Korea, while experts have warned that the development could provoke a reaction from Pyongyang.
The intelligence agency also estimated that around 9,000 North Korean troops were involved in surveillance operations in the Kursk region. Lawmakers were further told that Russia had provided North Korea with military technologies to support its defence modernisation, although Moscow was reportedly reluctant to share its most advanced technologies related to nuclear-powered submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
N. Korean Leader’s Daughter Increasingly Seen At Public Events
The intelligence agency also assessed that Kim Jong Un’s teenage daughter is strengthening her public position as a potential successor.
According to Yun, the agency told lawmakers that Kim’s daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, has appeared alongside her father at around 30 public events this year, the highest number for the corresponding period since her public debut in late 2022.
Some experts, however, have cautioned against drawing firm conclusions about her succession prospects, pointing to North Korea’s traditionally male-dominated power structure.
The intelligence agency reportedly observed that Kim’s daughter has been projecting a more mature image through her public appearances, including wearing formal women’s suits and pointed-toe shoes.
The agency also told lawmakers that Kim Jong Un remains severely overweight but showed no other major health concerns, according to Yun.
