South Korea Threatens ‘Additional Measures’ Over Ukraine’s POW Disclosure

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday warned Ukraine of “further measures” if Kyiv does not publicly apologize for disclosing that two North Korean prisoners of war had been sent to South Korea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed last week that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea. He said the men were “not easy to capture alive.” The disclosure, made during Zelensky’s remarks at the United Nations, angered Seoul. Lee said South Korea had been particularly concerned about the safety of the prisoners’ families, with officials stressing that confidentiality was necessary to protect them from possible repercussions in North Korea.

Seoul subsequently called on Ukraine to issue a formal apology over the disclosure.

“If Ukraine continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and publicly apologize, we will take further measures,” Lee said on Friday, accusing Kyiv of making him appear to be a “liar.”

“This is a matter concerning the dignity of the Republic of Korea and its people and cannot be overlooked,” Lee wrote on X.

Lee’s comments followed an interview with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha published Thursday by RBC-Ukraine and other Ukrainian media outlets. Sybiha sought to play down the dispute, saying he would “not like to call it an incident” and instead characterizing it as a “diplomatic misunderstanding.”

“South Korea is an important country for us. And I very much hope for momentum, continued cooperation, and concrete results that we are indeed achieving with them,” Sybiha said. The dispute has put a strain on relations between Seoul and Kyiv as both countries seek continued cooperation over North Korea’s role in Russia’s war in Ukraine.