Cho Hyun, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, stated on 6 October that he had received a message of apology from Andriy Sybiga, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, regarding the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. According to the minister, as reported by Yonhap, the apology did not meet Seoul’s expectations.
Briefly about the main points
- Cho Hyun stated that the messages from Sibiga contained an apology.
- Seoul considers them insufficient and is considering possible responses.
- One of the options is to recall Ambassador Park Ki-chang to Seoul for consultations.
- Kyiv and Seoul have differing views on the confidentiality agreement regarding the transfer.
What steps is Seoul considering?
Cho Hyun He stated that the government intended to take «decisive measures», but did not specify exactly what decisions were involved. At the time of his statement, no specific measures had been announced.
Among the options, the South Korean government is considering recalling its ambassador to Ukraine Pak Kichanga to Seoul for consultations. This proposal was put forward by one of the MPs during a parliamentary audit.
What is the diplomatic dispute about?
24 September Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his address to the UN General Assembly, he announced that Ukraine had recently handed over two to South Korea North Korean prisoners of war. The exact date of the handover was not publicly disclosed.
Seoul maintains that the parties agreed not to disclose the very fact of the handover, citing, in particular, the safety of the servicemen and their families in North Korea. The Ukrainian side had previously denied that it had undertaken any obligation not to report the handover. Consequently, the existence and content of such an agreement remain a matter of dispute between Kyiv and Seoul.
What is known about the two prisoners of war
The Ukrainian Defence Forces captured two North Korean soldiers in the Kursk Oblast of the Russian Federation in January 2025 during fighting in which they were fighting on Russia’s side.
South Korea had previously stated its willingness to accept prisoners of war, provided they were willing to do so. At the same time, public statements regarding the military’s own intentions have varied over time.
