President Lee Jae-myung warned Ukraine on the 2nd that Seoul "will take further steps" if Kyiv continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and offer a public apology.
Lee made the remarks on X, formerly Twitter, while sharing an article about Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha's comments on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's public disclosure of the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. According to the article, Sybiha said he "sincerely hopes this will be resolved," adding, "Let's treat it as a diplomatic misunderstanding," and that "South Korea is an important country for us."
Lee criticized Ukraine over the handling of the repatriation, saying that Kyiv had asked for the matter to be kept confidential and that both sides agreed to keep it private, but that Ukraine then disclosed it unilaterally. When the South Korean president expressed regret with the utmost courtesy, Lee said, Ukraine responded by denying that any agreement existed, thereby "making the head of state of another country out to be a liar." He also said he expressed "serious regret toward Ukraine, which, when asked to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, instead spoke of an imminent military clash between the two Koreas and sought to provoke the outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula."
"If you continue to refuse to acknowledge the facts and apologize publicly, we will take further steps," he added. "This is a matter concerning the dignity of the Korean people and the nation, and it cannot be overlooked."
Earlier, in an address to the nation on the 28th of last month, Zelenskyy made no mention of the repatriation of North Korean prisoners to South Korea, saying instead that "there are more than 8,000 North Korean troops on Russian territory, and preparations are under way to deploy an additional 10,000." He also said that "Russia is providing technology and other assistance in return for the dispatch of North Korean troops," and claimed that "Shahed-type attack drones are being produced on North Korean territory with Russian technical support." At the same time, Ukraine has repeatedly stressed its existing position that North Korean troops' combat experience could pose a threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula.
