In brief
South Korean President Lee Jae‑Myung has warned he will take "further action" if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not apologise for revealing two North‑Korean POWs were moved to the South. The disclosure at the UN General Assembly upset Seoul, which wanted the repatriation kept secret to protect families. Kyiv denies a secrecy pact and calls the row a diplomatic misunderstanding, while Lee accuses Kyiv of risking war on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul’s stance signals a new diplomatic frontier amid its longstanding support of Ukraine.
South Korean President Lee Jae‑Myung has warned he will take "further action" if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not issue a public apology for revealing that two North‑Korean POWs were sent to the South.
The disclosure came at the UN General Assembly, where Zelenskyy said the soldiers – who voluntarily joined Russia’s war in Ukraine – had asked to be relocated to South Korea. The move was meant to stay secret, according to Seoul.
Korean officials insist Ukraine disrupted a pact that kept the repatriation hush‑hoos to protect families on the North. Kyiv denies any agreement to keep it secret, calling the row a diplomatic misunderstanding.
Lee posted on X that the incident jeopardises the dignity of the Korean people and warned the policy could bring conflict to the peninsula. He also accused Kyiv of trying to push war onto the Korean Peninsula.
With Seoul a long‑time supporter of Ukraine but unwilling to supply lethal arms, the stance shows Korea stepping into a new diplomatic gray area, sparking intense debate back home.
