President Lee Jae-myung has warned of 'further steps' if Ukraine does not publicly apologise for the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. The dispute escalated after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the soldiers' transfer to South Korea during a speech to the UN General Assembly last week.
The two North Korean soldiers were captured in January 2025 in Russia's Kursk region while fighting on Russia's side, and Ukraine held them as prisoners of war. The soldiers later expressed a wish to go to South Korea, and their transfer was subsequently carried out via a third country.
Ukraine's foreign minister described the situation on Tuesday as a 'diplomatic misunderstanding' and added that Kyiv was working to resolve the issue. He expressed hope that the situation would be resolved soon, highlighting that Ukraine is an important country to South Korea.
The South Korean president rejected the assessment on the X platform, stating that the matter concerned 'the dignity of the Korean people and the state'. Lee stated: 'If the refusal to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology continues, we will take additional measures.' He did not specify what additional measures his government might take, but a South Korean foreign ministry official said today that there are several possible measures, without providing details.
The South Korean president's office last week announced that it was Ukraine itself that had requested the transfer remain secret. Citing reasons for the secrecy, they mentioned the protection of the North Korean soldiers' families and Kyiv's desire to avoid criticism for not using the soldiers to exchange imprisoned Ukrainians. The office of President Zelenskyy countered that the two countries had no such confidentiality agreement, and Kyiv maintains that no confidentiality agreement existed.
Seoul therefore summoned the highest Ukrainian diplomat in South Korea last weekend and requested an official explanation and apology. South Korean authorities believe that Ukraine's denial of the existence of an agreement further eroded trust between the two governments. An official confirmed that the foreign ministers of the two countries are communicating directly and attempting to agree on a way to resolve the dispute, including the issue of a potential Ukrainian apology.
The dispute has caused political repercussions in South Korea, where Lee's administration is facing criticism over how it handled the transfer. The South Korean opposition has accused Lee of concealing the transfer to avoid worsening relations with North Korea. The president has been trying to reduce tensions with North Korea in recent months.
Lee responded to all accusations by claiming that Kyiv is 'trying to provoke a war on the Korean Peninsula'. He wrote that he expresses deep regret that, instead of acknowledging the facts about the agreement and apologising, they speak of an inevitable military conflict between the North and the South. He stated that this is a matter of 'the dignity of the people and the state of the Republic of Korea' over which he cannot compromise.
Seoul has expressed solidarity with Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's invasion, but has maintained its long-standing policy of not supplying lethal weapons to countries in active conflict. Since the start of Russia's invasion, South Korea has provided Ukraine with humanitarian and financial aid, and in July announced an additional $100 million in non-military assistance to Ukraine. The diplomatic dispute comes at a time when relations between Moscow and Pyongyang have significantly strengthened, with North Korean soldiers participating in fighting on the Russian side.
