South Korea demands apology from Ukraine over situation with DPRK prisoners

A diplomatic dispute has arisen between Ukraine and South Korea over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. The South Korean side has declared a violation of the confidentiality agreement and is demanding official explanations and apologies from Kyiv.

The reason for this was the public statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that two North Korean soldiers had been transferred to South Korea.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myeon criticized the publication of this information. According to him, there was an agreement between the parties not to disclose the details of the transfer of prisoners.

Seoul has declared an undermining of trust

Advisor to the President of Ukraine Dmytro Lytvyn stated that the head of state only reported on the fact of the transfer of the soldiers, emphasizing Ukraine’s openness.

However, Seoul did not accept such an explanation.

Senior Secretary of the President of South Korea for Public Relations Song Ki-hong stated that the unilateral publication of information about the transfer of prisoners is a serious issue.

The South Korean side also claims that the Ukrainian side’s denial of the existence of a confidentiality agreement could damage trust between the countries.

The South Korean presidential administration is demanding official explanations and apologies from Ukraine and says it is considering additional measures.

The dispute could affect relations between Kyiv and Seoul

The situation is of particular importance against the backdrop of North Korea’s cooperation with Russia and Ukraine’s requests to South Korea for military support.

The material notes that the diplomatic dispute could complicate the discussion of Ukrainian requests for the supply of weapons.

At the same time, North Korea continues to deepen military cooperation with Russia. According to available information, up to 25,000 North Korean citizens may be involved in the Russian drone industry, including working at enterprises in Tatarstan.