Seoul and Kyiv clash over disclosure of captured North Korean soldiers' transfer
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has threatened further action unless Ukraine publicly apologizes for revealing that two captured North Korean soldiers were secretly transferred to South Korea. Ukraine calls the episode a misunderstanding and says it is working to resolve it.
A diplomatic dispute has broken out between South Korea and Ukraine after it became public that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said his country could take further steps unless Ukraine apologizes for disclosing the information, the BBC reports.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed last week, during the UN General Assembly, that two North Koreans who had been fighting on Russia's side had been sent to South Korea. Seoul had asked for the information to remain confidential, and the disclosure angered South Korean officials.
Misunderstanding or deliberate move
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the episode on October 1 as a diplomatic misunderstanding, adding that Kyiv is working to resolve the situation. Lee rejected that characterization, saying the matter touches on the dignity of the Korean people and state.
Lee's office said Ukraine had requested that the transfer remain secret, partly to protect the soldiers' families and partly to avoid criticism over the possibility of exchanging the North Koreans for Ukrainian prisoners of war held by Russia. Zelensky's office further inflamed the dispute, responding that no agreement on secrecy had existed between the two countries.
Following the disclosure, Lee faced domestic criticism, with South Korea's opposition accusing him of concealing the transfer to appease Pyongyang. Local media previously reported that the two soldiers, part of thousands of North Koreans fighting for Russia, had said they themselves wished to go to South Korea.
Sybiha expressed hope the situation would be resolved soon, calling South Korea an important partner. Lee responded by accusing Kyiv of trying to drag the war onto the Korean peninsula, saying he regretted that instead of acknowledging the facts and apologizing, Ukraine was instead speaking of an inevitable military clash between North and South Korea.
Since Russia's full-scale invasion began, South Korea has generally supported Ukraine but has maintained its traditional policy of refusing to send lethal weapons to countries engaged in active warfare.
