South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned of ‘further action’ if Ukraine does not issue a public apology for disclosing that two North Korean prisoners of war were brought to the South. Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelensky revealed the information to the UN general assembly last week, angering Seoul, which maintained the decision was intended to remain secret.
Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha on Thursday described the issue as a “diplomatic misunderstanding” and said Kyiv was “working” to rectify it. Lee denied that portrayal on X, stating it was about “the dignity of the Korean people and the nation.”
Lee’s office last week said Ukraine had sought the secrecy of the transaction, partially to protect the North Koreans’ families and also because Kyiv did not want to be criticised for having missed the opportunity to swap the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners of war.
The matter escalated further with Zelensky’s office hitting back to assert that there was no such agreement between the two governments to keep the relocation quiet. Lee himself came under harsh fire at home after Zelensky’s admission, with the South Korean opposition accusing him of covering up the transfer to satisfy Pyongyang.
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