Blue House Says It Was Notified in Advance of Zelensky's Mention of North Korean POWs

The Blue House said on the 24th (local time) that it had been notified through diplomatic channels in advance that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to the UN General Assembly might include a mention of the two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces who were recently sent to South Korea. A senior Blue House official, meeting with reporters on the ground that day, said, "We did not hear the speech completely unaware; we had received word through diplomatic channels that such a mention could be included." He added, "What they conveyed to us was not clear. It was uncertain what form the remarks would take; we were merely told that there could be a mention of those individuals."

Regarding the North Korean POW issue, the official stated, "From the beginning to now, our government has consistently handled this quietly, in accordance with the individuals' free will, relevant domestic law, and international humanitarian law principles." He said, "That is the only way it can be handled swiftly, smoothly, and safely."

The official said, "In some quarters, people have met with them, conducted interviews, and reported on them, and that is when things started to get difficult. The difficulties have been growing through that process." He said that during consultations with Ukraine, there had been an understanding that the matter would be handled quietly without public disclosure. "This was out of consideration for the safety and human rights of the individuals and their families," he said, acknowledging that "it is true that President Zelensky's mention at the UN General Assembly the day before made things turn out somewhat differently from what had been agreed."

He firmly rebutted opposition claims that the government had handled the matter privately out of deference to North Korea. "There are no other considerations behind the quiet handling of this," the official emphasized. "These are not simply POWs between the two Koreas; they went to Ukraine, fought alongside Russia, were taken prisoner by Ukraine, and their return involves a complicated process requiring several stages." He added, "All the speculation and attacks surrounding this are politically motivated. Some view the lack of disclosure as suggesting a hidden agenda or an attempt to deceive the public, but that is not the case."