Seoul demands Ukraine apology after Zelensky discloses North Korean POW transfer
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has demanded a public apology from Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed that Kyiv had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul, despite an agreement to keep the handover confidential.
Zelensky revealed the transfer in an address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23, saying the two North Korean POWs had been sent to South Korea.
The disclosure angered Seoul, which said the transfer had been subject to an understanding that the details would remain confidential until the appropriate time for a public announcement.
Lee said he was “taken aback” by Zelensky’s remarks, stressing that maintaining secrecy was crucial to protecting the relatives of the North Korean POWs, who could face reprisals if they were identified as having defected.
On Friday, Lee called on Kyiv to formally acknowledge the breach and issue a public apology, warning that Seoul would take “further measures” if Ukraine refused.
“If Ukraine continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and publicly apologize, we will take further measures,” Lee said, accusing Kyiv of making him out to be a “liar.”
“This is a matter concerning the dignity of the Republic of Korea and its people and cannot be overlooked,” he wrote on X, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha sought to play down the dispute, describing the breakdown in confidentiality as a “misunderstanding.”
The row comes as South Korea faces US pressure to provide military equipment for Ukraine, while Seoul has sought to navigate the increasingly complicated geopolitical fallout from the Ukraine war.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has declared Pyongyang’s readiness to provide military assistance to Moscow, pledging to “unconditionally support” Russia in its confrontation with their "common enemy, the West."
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Seoul demands Ukraine apology after Zelensky discloses North Korean POW transfer
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