South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has issued a warning that unspecified “further action” may follow if Ukraine does not formally apologize for disclosing that two North Korean prisoners of war were sent to the South. President Lee also accused Kyiv of attempting to instigate conflict on the Korean Peninsula following the diplomatic rupture.
The dispute erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed the transfer during an address to the United Nations General Assembly last week. Seoul had insisted the operation remain confidential. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the fallout as a “diplomatic misunderstanding” on Thursday, stating that his government is actively working to resolve the issue.
President Lee rejected the characterization of the event as a mere misunderstanding, emphasizing that the matter pertains to the dignity of the Korean nation. According to Lee’s office, Ukraine had explicitly requested secrecy, in part to safeguard the families of the North Korean soldiers and to avoid international criticism for potentially abandoning a chance to swap the soldiers for Ukrainian captives.
Tensions escalated further after Zelensky’s office asserted that no confidentiality agreement existed between the two nations. The disclosure also triggered domestic backlash in South Korea, with opposition figures accusing President Lee of covering up the transfer to appease Pyongyang.
The two soldiers, who are among thousands of North Koreans currently supporting Russian forces in Ukraine, had previously told local media they wished to be relocated to South Korea. While Seoul has expressed sympathy for Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion, it continues to adhere to a longstanding policy of withholding lethal weapons from nations engaged in active combat.
In remarks to Ukrainian media, Sybiha expressed hope that the situation would be resolved soon, noting South Korea’s importance as a partner. President Lee responded by condemning Kyiv’s failure to acknowledge the facts and apologize, saying it was unacceptable for Ukraine to instead discuss the prospect of imminent military clashes between North and South Korea.
This exposes the messy reality of third-party dynamics. Small gestures between adversaries can unravel complex geopolitical arrangements overnight.
Seoul’s outrage is understandable, but expecting an apology when Kyiv denies any promise was made seems unrealistic. Diplomacy rarely works this way.