SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has warned that Seoul could take unspecified further measures against Ukraine unless Kyiv acknowledges what South Korea says was a confidentiality agreement over the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers and issues a public apology.
“If the refusal to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology continues, we will take additional measures,” Lee said in a post on X on Friday.
The warning follows a diplomatic dispute that erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy disclosed during the United Nations General Assembly last month that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The soldiers had been captured while fighting alongside Russian forces.
Seoul subsequently accused Kyiv of breaching an agreement to keep the transfer confidential, citing concerns over the soldiers’ safety and the sensitive diplomatic implications. Ukraine, however, has denied that any such confidentiality agreement existed.
Lee also expressed what he described as “grave regret” over Ukrainian remarks concerning the possibility of an imminent military clash between North and South Korea, saying such comments amounted to encouraging war on the Korean Peninsula.
Ukraine has since signalled a willingness to ease the dispute. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the issue as a “diplomatic misunderstanding” and said Kyiv hoped to maintain cooperation with Seoul.
The row comes as Lee’s administration seeks to reduce tensions with North Korea while maintaining South Korea’s support for Ukraine. Seoul has provided humanitarian and financial assistance to Kyiv since Russia’s 2022 invasion and pledged an additional US$100 million (about RM409 million) in non-lethal support in July.
Analysts cited by Reuters said any additional measures could potentially affect the humanitarian, financial or reconstruction assistance South Korea provides to Ukraine, although both sides would have an interest in resolving the dispute rather than allowing tensions to persist.
