S. Korea, Ukraine's FMs discuss 'proper message' on NK POW transfer dispute: senior official

The South Korean and Ukrainian foreign ministers have been discussing how Kyiv should respond to South Korea's demand for an apology over the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul, a senior government official here said Friday.

The South Korean government demanded an official explanation and apology over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent disclosure of the transfer and a statement from his office denying that there had been an agreement to keep the matter confidential.

"One thing I want to make clear is that there was an agreement from the outset to keep the matter confidential to protect the soldiers and their families, who remain in North Korea. There is no question about that," the foreign ministry official well-versed in the issue said during a meeting with reporters.

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, "have been in close communication on potential responses from Ukraine, including the tone and content of the message and the manner in which it would be announced," he said.

The official added that the message will take into account various circumstances facing Ukraine, including its ongoing war with Russia and its high-level diplomatic considerations.

"While making clear various points, we also want to build a good relationship with Ukraine," he said, stressing the need to handle the issue appropriately so that it does not lead to broader friction between the two countries.

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 officials. Zelenskyy unilaterally disclosed their transfer in an address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York last week.

President Lee Jae Myung accused Ukraine of disclosing the information and making him a "liar" by denying the agreement, and warned of "additional measures" if Ukraine refuses to issue an official apology.

"We asked Ukraine to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, but instead, it has spoken of an 'imminent military clash between the two Koreas.' We express serious regret over Ukraine's actions, which appear to be hoping for war to break out on the Korean Peninsula," Lee said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Lee's message appeared to be directed at recent remarks by Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine's presidential office. In a social media post, Budanov said North Korea is learning from the war in Ukraine and that its involvement was "first and foremost, to be ready for active combat operations in its own region."

According to Ukrainian news outlet RBC-Ukraine on Thursday (local time), Sybiha described the issue as a "diplomatic misunderstanding" and expressed hope that it would be resolved soon, marking Ukraine's first response to Seoul's demand for an apology.

"I very much want this situation to be resolved in the short term, and we are working on it. South Korea is an important country for us," Sybiha was quoted as saying by the news outlet.

The minister also expressed hope that the "momentum, continuity and concrete results" being achieved through cooperation with South Korea would continue, the report said.