Seoul Demands an Apology from Kyiv Over the Disclosure of Information About North Korean Prisoners of War

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated that Seoul may take “further measures” if Ukraine does not recognize the non-disclosure agreement regarding the transfer of two prisoners of war from North Korea and does not issue an official public apology. He made this statement on October 2 amid a diplomatic dispute between Kyiv and Seoul.

South Korea claims that Ukraine violated the confidentiality agreement by disclosing information about the transfer of two North Korean soldiers. At the same time, Kyiv denies the existence of such an agreement, calling the situation a diplomatic misunderstanding.

Lee Jae-myung emphasized that if Ukraine continues to deny the existence of the agreement and refuses to issue an official apology, South Korea will take further measures.

The diplomatic row between Kyiv and Seoul has escalated. On Friday, October 2, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung wrote on his page on the social media platform X that he expects Ukraine to acknowledge the confidentiality agreement regarding the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war and to issue a public apology.

According to Lee, Ukraine itself requested confidentiality, and the parties agreed to it, but the information was subsequently made public “unilaterally.” When the South Korean president “expressed regret,” Kyiv stated that no such agreement had existed—a claim he interpreted as an accusation of lying.

“If they continue to refuse to acknowledge the facts and publicly apologize, we will take further measures,” Lee emphasized, calling it a matter of the Republic of Korea’s dignity.

The President’s Office initially denied the existence of any confidentiality agreement. However, on October 1, Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga called the situation a “diplomatic misunderstanding.”

“I really want this situation to be resolved in the short term, and we are working on it,” the minister said.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung reported this on his page on the social media platform X.

As a reminder, Kyiv and Seoul are trying to resolve a dispute over North Korean prisoners of war.

President Zelenskyy announced the handover of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea — Asharq Al-Awsat.