President Lee apologizes to Ukraine and warns of additional measures

President Lee Jaemyung said that if Ukraine continues to refuse to apologize over the disclosure of the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war, additional measures will be taken. He claimed that Ukraine failed to uphold a confidential agreement and put South Korea in a difficult position, emphasizing that it is a matter of national dignity. This conflict escalated after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the repatriation of the prisoners in his UN General Assembly speech, and the Ukrainian presidential office responded by saying there had been no confidential agreement. The South Korean government has already summoned a Ukrainian diplomat stationed in South Korea to protest, and is reportedly also considering summoning Ambassador Park Kichang to Ukraine. Domestic political circles gave mixed reactions over the severity of the response. The ruling party raised the issue of diplomatic discourtesy, while the opposition criticized it as a selective response, saying that the government did not sufficiently mention North Korea’s responsibility at a time when South Korean troops had suffered damage from North Korean landmines. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is coordinating ways to resolve the issue, including the apology matter between the two countries.