Ukraine offers 'insufficient' apology over North Korean POW disclosure: South Korean FM

Seoul: South Korea has received a message from Ukraine containing an apology over its disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Tuesday, but added that the apology fell short of Seoul's expectations.

Seoul demanded an official explanation and apology after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the transfer last month, with his office subsequently denying there had been an agreement to keep the matter confidential, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"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 during a parliamentary audit of his ministry when asked by lawmakers whether Ukraine had apologised.

"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.

The minister added that the government is considering various options, including the possibility of recalling South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chang, as proposed by a lawmaker.

Cho reiterated that there had been an agreement from the outset to keep the matter confidential to protect the soldiers and their families, who remain in North Korea, noting that the Ukrainian side had first requested that the matter not be made public.

Following Seoul's demand for an official explanation and apology, Sybiha had described the issue as a "diplomatic misunderstanding" and expressed hope that it would be resolved soon.

The two North Korean soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region and arrived in South Korea in mid-September, according to South Korean officials.

Asked why Zelensky had disclosed the transfer, Cho speculated, while stressing it was his personal interpretation, that the Ukrainian president may have wanted to demonstrate to the United Nations that Ukraine had acted appropriately as a liberal democracy.

South Korea has sought to resolve the dispute through diplomatic channels while emphasising the importance of maintaining its relations with Ukraine.

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