South Korea considers Ukraine's apology over the disclosure of information about North Korean prisoners of war insufficient
Kyiv • UNN
South Korea received an apology from Ukraine for disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war, but considers it insufficient. Seoul is considering decisive measures.
South Korea received a message of apology from Ukraine regarding the disclosure of information about the transfer to Seoul of two North Korean prisoners of war, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday. At the same time, he added that the apology did not meet Seoul’s expectations. Yonhap reports, UNN writes.
Details
Seoul demanded an official explanation and apology after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed information about the transfer last month. The Office of the President of Ukraine later stated that there had been no agreement to keep this information secret.
"I have maintained constant contact with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on this issue, and he expressed how difficult this situation is," Cho said during a parliamentary audit of his ministry’s activities, responding to lawmakers’ questions about whether Ukraine had apologized.
"The messages I received (from Sybiha — Ed.) contained an apology. But they do not meet the level we expect, so we intend to take decisive measures," he said.
The minister added that the government was considering various options, including the possibility of recalling South Korea’s ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chan, as proposed by one of the lawmakers.
What preceded this
The two North Korean servicemen were captured in January 2025 during fighting on Russia’s side in the Kursk region. They arrived in South Korea in mid-September.
On September 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
Responding to a question about why Zelenskyy disclosed information about the transfer, Cho suggested — emphasizing that this was only his personal interpretation — that the Ukrainian president may have wanted to demonstrate to the United Nations that Ukraine had acted appropriately as a liberal democracy.
Cho said that an agreement to keep the matter secret had existed from the outset in order to protect the servicemen and their families who remain in North Korea. According to him, it was the Ukrainian side that first asked for the information not to be made public.
After Seoul demanded an official explanation and apology, Sybiha called the situation a "diplomatic misunderstanding" and expressed hope that it would be resolved soon.