South Korea is continuing diplomatic efforts to resolve a dispute with Ukraine over Kyiv's disclosure of North Korean prisoners of war being transferred to Seoul. Seoul maintains its demand for an apology from Kyiv, while Ukraine suggests the matter has been resolved due to differing interpretations of confidentiality requirements.
The dispute highlights the complexities of international cooperation and information sharing during ongoing conflicts, potentially impacting diplomatic relations and trust between allied nations.
SEOUL, Oct. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is continuing diplomatic efforts to resolve a dispute with Ukraine over Kyiv's disclosure of North Korean prisoners of war being transferred to Seoul, while maintaining its demand for an apology. The foreign ministry stated that consultations with the Ukrainian side are ongoing.
This diplomatic friction arose after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer of two North Korean soldiers in an address to the U.N. General Assembly last month. These soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting for Russia and arrived in South Korea in mid-September. Seoul asserts that a nondisclosure agreement was in place at Ukraine's request to protect the soldiers and their families, who remain in North Korea, and accuses Zelenskyy of breaching this agreement. Kyiv, however, denies the existence of such an agreement.
In response to the disclosure, South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine. Despite this, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha indicated that the matter had been "resolved," attributing the situation to "different interpretations of the confidentiality requirements at various stages of the transfer." He stated that Ukraine had fulfilled all its obligations. However, a separate South Korean foreign ministry official confirmed that the demand for an apology remains in place as talks continue for an amicable solution.
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