Ukraine has not apologized to South Korea because there was no reason to do so—Foreign Ministry

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga did not apologize to South Korea over the diplomatic dispute, but merely expressed regret that the situation had escalated to the point of an exchange of public criticisms. 

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry emphasized that it decided to disclose details of the diplomatic correspondence after the South Korean side publicly claimed that Kyiv had allegedly apologized. However, there were no apologies in the correspondence.

According to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi, there is a significant difference between Seoul’s interpretation of the diplomatic message and its actual content. Kyiv emphasized that a public exchange of criticism between the countries is undesirable, but the Ukrainian side did not offer any official apologies.

Tykhyi stated that the public dispute stemmed from a difference in the interpretation of confidentiality agreements regarding the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

According to him, Seoul had been requesting the transfer of these soldiers since 2025, as it considers them its citizens under the South Korean Constitution. Following a written declaration of intent by the prisoners and an agreement between the heads of state, Ukraine carried out the necessary legal and logistical procedures and handed them over to South Korea.

The Foreign Ministry called this a gesture of goodwill and a friendly step toward Seoul.

Ukraine and South Korea are currently engaged in behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute. Tykhyi noted that Kyiv does not wish to make any additional statements that could hinder this process.

This was reported by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi, according to the publication “LIGA.net.”

Prior to this, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that South Korea had received an apology from Ukraine for disclosing information about the transfer of two prisoners of war from North Korea, but that this apology was made without due respect. 

Ukraine hopes to resolve the dispute with South Korea in the near future, which arose after information was disclosed regarding the transfer of two prisoners of war from North Korea to Seoul.