Seoul says Ukraine's apology over North Korean POWs was not enough, weighs new measures
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Ukraine’s apology over the disclosure of North Korean prisoners of war failed to meet Seoul’s expectations. South Korea is now considering decisive measures, according to Yonhap.
Cho Hyun made the remarks during a parliamentary audit of his ministry. Lawmakers asked whether Ukraine had apologized.
“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.
In addition, the South Korean government is considering various options. One of them is recalling the country’s ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chan. One of the lawmakers proposed the measure.
What is known about the North Korean POW controversy
Two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian Defense Forces in Russia’s Kursk region on January 11, 2025. South Korea later said it was ready to accept them, as Seoul legally considers North Korean residents to be its citizens.
In July 2026, the presidents of Ukraine and South Korea agreed on the prisoners’ future.
On September 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his address to the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had recently transferred both soldiers to South Korea.
Two days later, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung criticized Zelenskyy for publicly disclosing the information.
Ukraine’s Presidential Office denied that there had been an agreement not to disclose the transfer. According to the office, Kyiv had made no such commitment and had not disclosed details of the process.
Later, a representative of the South Korean president’s office said Kyiv had warned Seoul in advance that Zelenskyy would mention the prisoners in his address.
The South Korean side maintains that the two countries had previously agreed not to do so.
It should be recalled that on September 28, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador, Andrii Vieshkin.
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine.
We also reported that Kyiv had allegedly been the first to ask Seoul not to disclose the transfer of the prisoners.
That is according to South Korean intelligence.
As previously reported by RBC-Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the dispute with Seoul a diplomatic misunderstanding.
He said he speaks with his South Korean counterpart every day and wants to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
