South Korea demands Ukraine apology over POW disclosure

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday threatened Ukraine with "further measures" if Kyiv does not issue a public apology for revealing that North Korean POWs were sent to South Korea.

Seoul has reacted sharply to Ukraine's disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia, warning that Pyongyang could target their families.

What has led to the rift between Seoul and Kyiv?

Last week, Lee expressed his regret hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had disclosed the transfer of the soldiers while speaking at the United Nations.

Since then, South Korea and Ukraine have been at loggerheads, with Seoul demanding an apology from Kyiv.

"If the refusal to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology continues, we will take additional ​measures," Lee said in a post on X.

Lee also accused Kyiv of making him out to be a "liar."

Prisoner swap: From North to South Korea via Ukraine

South Korea claims that Kyiv violated an agreement to keep the transfer of the two soldiers to Seoul confidential to protect them. However, Ukrainian officials have denied that such an agreement existed.

Ukrainian media on Thursday cited Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha as saying that Kyiv is trying to mend ties with Seoul.

"I would not like to call this an incident. Let's say, it's a diplomatic misunderstanding," Sybiha told ⁠journalists ​at an event, according to Ukrainian news agency RBC-Ukraine.

"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," he said.

Edited by: Karl Sexton

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