South Korea Furious? Three Major Grievances as Lee Jae Myung Demands Ukraine Apologize

SEOUL, Oct. 2— A diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Ukraine over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war has escalated, with President Lee Jae Myung demanding an official apology from Kyiv and warning that Seoul could take “additional measures” if Ukraine continues to deny a confidentiality arrangement.

The dispute centers on Ukraine's disclosure that two North Korean soldiers captured during the war had been transferred to South Korea. Seoul says the two countries had agreed from the outset to keep the matter confidential, while Ukrainian officials have disputed the existence of such an agreement.

Three issues have emerged at the heart of South Korea's anger.

First Grievance: Seoul Says a Confidential Arrangement Was Broken

The dispute began after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean prisoners to South Korea.

South Korea subsequently said the transfer had been subject to a confidentiality arrangement between the two countries. Lee had already expressed regret over the disclosure, saying the issue was particularly sensitive because it could affect diplomacy, national security and the security environment on the Korean Peninsula.

A senior South Korean government official said Friday that the two countries had agreed to keep information about the prisoners confidential in order to protect the soldiers and their families who remain in North Korea.

For Seoul, the issue therefore goes beyond the disclosure itself. It concerns whether a diplomatic understanding was respected.

Second Grievance: Ukraine Disputes the Existence of the Agreement

Tensions increased after Ukrainian officials denied that the two countries had reached a confidentiality agreement.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Seoul has accused Kyiv of breaching the agreement, while the Ukrainian presidential office has said that no such confidentiality agreement existed.

Lee sharply criticized the Ukrainian position on Oct. 2, saying Seoul had asked Ukraine to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, but instead Ukraine denied that the agreement existed.

South Korea's demand is now explicit: Seoul wants Ukraine to recognize the confidentiality arrangement and issue an official apology.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha have been communicating about how Kyiv should respond to Seoul's request.

Third Grievance: Seoul Objects to References to a Possible Korean Peninsula Conflict

A third source of tension involves comments from the Ukrainian side about the possibility of rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee criticized those remarks, saying that while Seoul was asking Ukraine to address the dispute over the POW disclosure, Ukrainian officials instead referred to the possibility of military conflict between North and South Korea.

Lee described the situation as deeply regrettable and said the matter involved the dignity and security of South Korea and its people.

He warned that if Ukraine continues to deny the confidentiality arrangement and refuses to apologize, South Korea will take additional measures.

Yonhap reported that recalling South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine has been discussed as a possible protest measure, although no such action had been formally announced at the time of the report.

Diplomatic Channels Remain Open

Despite the increasingly sharp rhetoric, Seoul has not announced a break in diplomatic relations with Kyiv.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said Oct. 1 that diplomatic communication between the two countries remained underway and that Seoul had conveyed its position to the Ukrainian side while awaiting Kyiv's response.

The dispute therefore remains in the diplomatic negotiation stage.

At the center of the confrontation are three issues:South Korea says sensitive information was disclosed despite an agreed confidentiality arrangement; Ukraine disputes that such an agreement existed; and Seoul objects to Ukrainian references to possible military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The next major developments will depend on whether Ukraine acknowledges the alleged confidentiality arrangement, whether it issues an apology, and what specific measures Seoul would take if the dispute remains unresolved.