Zelensky May Have Used North Korean POW Transfer to Seek Greater Seoul Support

South Korean intelligence believes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may have disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea in an attempt to build public support for Seoul providing weapons and other assistance to Ukraine, a lawmaker said on Wednesday.

Lawmaker Yoo Yeong-ha said the National Intelligence Service (NIS) had assessed that Zelensky may have hoped the arrival of the North Korean POWs in South Korea would strengthen public backing for military assistance to Ukraine.

The NIS assessment suggests Zelensky may have viewed the transfer as an opportunity to highlight North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war and encourage greater support in South Korea for assisting Ukraine. The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting alongside Russian troops before being transferred to South Korea.

Yoo said the intelligence agency did not indicate that Seoul had agreed to provide weapons to Ukraine as a condition for accepting the two prisoners. Rather, the possible motive behind Zelensky’s disclosure was to generate broader public support for such assistance.

The assessment is based on the NIS’s interpretation of Zelensky’s possible intentions and does not establish that the disclosure was made specifically as part of an arms agreement with South Korea.