Photo: EPA
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned that Seoul will take “additional measures” against Ukraine unless Kyiv acknowledges what South Korea says was a confidentiality agreement over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war and issues an official apology.
“If the refusal to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology continues, we will take additional measures,” Lee wrote on X on October 2. He also expressed what he called “grave regret” over Ukrainian remarks concerning a possible military confrontation between North and South Korea.
The dispute began after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at the United Nations General Assembly last month that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia to South Korea. Seoul subsequently accused Kyiv of violating an agreement to keep the transfer confidential, while Ukrainian officials have denied that such an agreement existed.
The two North Korean soldiers were captured in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025 and arrived in South Korea in mid-September, according to South Korean officials. Seoul has said the confidentiality arrangement was intended to protect the soldiers and their families, many of whom remain in North Korea.
Ukraine has signaled that it wants to resolve the dispute. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the situation as a “diplomatic misunderstanding” and said Ukraine was working to settle it quickly. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Sybiha have been discussing Kyiv’s possible response, including the wording and form of a potential apology.
The dispute comes at a sensitive time for Lee’s administration, which has sought to reduce tensions with North Korea. Lee also criticized statements from Ukraine about a possible inter-Korean conflict, saying they could contribute to tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
A South Korean analyst, Cho Han-bum of the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that possible additional measures could involve Seoul’s existing humanitarian, financial and reconstruction assistance to Ukraine. South Korea pledged an additional $100 million in non-lethal support for Ukraine in July.
Cho also warned that neither country benefits from a prolonged confrontation, noting that South Korea relies on Ukraine for information about North Korea’s military activities, while Ukraine receives assistance from Seoul.
The diplomatic dispute remains unresolved as the two governments continue discussions over how to address Seoul’s concerns without allowing the disagreement to expand into a broader deterioration in bilateral relations.
