Seoul threatens Ukraine with “additional measures” if it does not apologize in the North Korean prisoners scandal

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has threatened Ukraine with “additional measures,” without specifying their nature, if Kyiv does not publicly apologize for disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The information was made public by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the UN General Assembly.

Seoul maintains that the move was supposed to remain secret, to protect the families of the two soldiers and avoid criticism over abandoning the possibility of a prisoner exchange. Zelenskyy’s office, however, rejected the existence of a confidentiality agreement between the two countries.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the situation as a “diplomatic misunderstanding” and said that Kyiv was working to resolve the dispute quickly. Lee rejected this characterization, saying that the issue concerned “the dignity of the Korean people and nation” and accusing Ukraine of trying to bring the war to the Korean Peninsula.

The two North Koreans, captured while fighting for Russia in Ukraine, said they wanted to be sent to South Korea. The incident also sparked criticism inside South Korea, with the opposition accusing Lee of covering up the transfer to avoid upsetting Pyongyang.