Ukraine and South Korea are coordinating the "appropriate message" regarding the situation with North Korean prisoners of war — media
Kyiv • UNN
Seoul demands an apology for the disclosure of information about two North Korean prisoners of war. Kyiv called the situation a diplomatic misunderstanding.
The foreign ministers of South Korea and Ukraine are discussing how Ukraine should respond to South Korea’s demand for an apology over the disclosure of information about the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. A senior government official said this on Friday, October 2, UNN reports, citing Yonhap.
Details
"I want to state clearly that from the very beginning, there was an agreement to keep this matter confidential in order to protect the soldiers and their families who remain in North Korea. There is no doubt about that," a South Korean Foreign Ministry official with direct knowledge of the matter said during a meeting with journalists.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha "have been communicating closely regarding possible responses from Ukraine, including the tone and content of the message, as well as the manner in which it will be announced," he said.
The official added that the message would take into account the various circumstances Ukraine is facing, including russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine and its high-level diplomatic considerations.
"While clearly highlighting the various points, we also want to build good relations with Ukraine," he said, stressing the need to properly resolve the matter so that it does not lead to broader friction between the two countries.
According to officials, the two North Korean soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting on Russia’s side in the Kursk region and arrived in South Korea in mid-September. Zelensky unilaterally announced their transfer in an address to the UN General Assembly in New York last week.
On Thursday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the situation a "diplomatic misunderstanding," adding that Kyiv was "working" to resolve it.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, according to the BBC, rejected this characterization on X, stating that it concerns "the dignity of the Korean people and nation."
On Thursday, speaking to Ukrainian media, Foreign Minister Sybiha said that he "hopes this situation will be resolved in the near future."
"We are working on it. South Korea is an important country for us. And I very much hope for the momentum, continuation, and concrete results that we are genuinely achieving together with them," he said.