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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the United Nations General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York on the 23rd local time. / EPA-Yonhap

Amid mounting criticism from the opposition after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea, Cheong Wa Dae stated on the 26th that the government's stance is to "respond in accordance with consistent principles." Reaffirming its earlier view that keeping the matter confidential was appropriate, the presidential office appeared to push back against opposition criticism over non-disclosure by invoking "consistent principles."

Speaking to reporters at a press center set up in Mexico City during President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to Mexico, a Cheong Wa Dae official responded to a Ukrainian media report citing an office of the president source who claimed that "Ukraine made no promise to keep [the prisoner repatriation] a secret," saying, "It does not appear appropriate to respond in detail to comments from an anonymous source." However, the official added, "Our government's position is to respond based on consistent principles grounded in the individuals' wishes, domestic and international legal standards, and humanitarian considerations."

The opposition demanded transparency on the same day regarding the conflicting accounts between Seoul and Kyiv over the public disclosure of the North Korean soldiers' transfer, urging the government to release details of the negotiations and agreements between the two nations.

People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo wrote on social media, "Clarify through official records—such as diplomatic agreements, audio recordings, or reports—who is lying," pointing out, "If President Zelenskyy breached the confidentiality agreement first as President Lee claims, shouldn't we also be able to take corresponding measures?"

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon criticized, "Cheong Wa Dae backed down, saying 'a detailed response is inappropriate,' once Ukraine refuted the existence of a non-disclosure pact," adding, "What an international embarrassment this is. The Lee administration is making the South Korean government look like it lies to the international community out of deference to North Korea's Kim Jong-un regime."

In contrast, the ruling party hit back at the opposition's offensive over keeping the POW transfer confidential, stating, "The People Power Party's unpatriotic mindset is laid bare even on the issue of North Korean POWs defecting via Ukraine."

Democratic Party Senior Spokesperson Park Sung-joon said in a written briefing, "Pursuing the matter confidentially to guarantee the defectors' safety and minimize unnecessary provocation and confrontation is common sense," adding, "Any normal political group would have held the party that disclosed it first accountable before questioning whether it was a cover-up."

                                                                                                           Mok Yong-jae