Seoul Warns of 'Additional Measures' If Ukraine Refuses to Apologize Regarding the Prisoners Issue

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol warned on Friday that Seoul would take "additional measures" if Ukraine refused to publicly apologize for what he described as the one-sided disclosure of sending North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

Yoon wrote in a post on the X platform, "If Ukraine continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and provide a public apology, we will take additional measures," adding, "This is a matter of the dignity of the Republic of Korea and its people, and it cannot be overlooked."

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ukrainian chargé d'affaires in Seoul on Monday, amid a dispute over the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

The ministry accused Kyiv of violating an agreement to maintain the confidentiality of the transfer process.

The South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister, Park Yun-jo, stated that Ukraine's earlier confirmation of the absence of such an agreement "seriously undermines the trust between the governments of the two countries" and may harm their relations.

Park demanded that the Ukrainian government provide an official clarification and an apology.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last Wednesday that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean soldiers to South Korea.

The Ukrainian forces had captured the two prisoners in January 2025 in the Russian border area of Kursk.

Reports indicated that they expressed a desire to resettle in South Korea, whose government had pressured Kyiv to facilitate their transfer.