South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that Seoul may take “additional measures” if Ukraine does not acknowledge an agreement on the confidentiality of the transfer of prisoners of war from North Korea and publicly apologize. Kyiv denies the existence of such an agreement.
In a post on social media platform X, Lee Jae Myung claimed that it was the Ukrainian side that had allegedly asked not to disclose details of the transfer of the prisoners and that the sides had “agreed on confidentiality.” According to his account, Ukraine later unilaterally made the information public.
“When the president of the Republic of Korea, exercising the utmost diplomatic restraint, said that he regretted the situation, the Ukrainian side responded that there had been no agreement, effectively calling the head of another state a liar.”
Lee Jae Myung, President of South Korea
The South Korean president also said that after Seoul called on Ukraine to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, Ukraine began speaking about an alleged imminent military clash between South and North Korea.
“I express serious disappointment with Ukraine, which, in our view, is attempting to provoke the outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula. If Ukraine continues to refuse to acknowledge the agreement and publicly apologize, we will take additional measures.”
Lee Jae Myung, President of South Korea
Lee Jae Myung did not specify what measures Seoul might take. He said the dispute concerns the reputation and dignity of the citizens and the state.
The positions of Kyiv and Seoul
The South Korean president’s post was a response to a statement by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. He said that South Korea is important and expressed sincere hope for resolving the diplomatic misunderstanding.
The dispute between Kyiv and Seoul arose after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to the UN General Assembly on September 23. At the time, he said that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.
South Korea accused Ukraine of violating a confidentiality agreement. The Ukrainian side, however, denies that such an agreement existed.
On September 27, Seoul said it wanted to receive official explanations and an apology from Ukraine. Later, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires over the matter.
