Ukraine apologizes for revealing North Korean POWs’ transfer to South Korea. Seoul says apology isn’t enough, vows ‘firm measures.’
South Korea has received an apology from Ukraine over its disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul but considers the apology insufficient, South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said.
“I have been in continuous contact with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha over the matter, and he has expressed how difficult the situation is,” Cho said. “Messages that I received [from Sybiha] included an apology. But there is a difference from the level we expect, so we intend to take firm measures,” he said.
He said Seoul is weighing various options, including recalling its ambassador from Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 23 at the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two North Koreans, captured in early 2025, to South Korea. Seoul then demanded an apology from Kyiv for disclosing the information, saying it had agreed to keep the transfer secret and that Ukraine itself had proposed the arrangement.
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