Seoul:President Lee Jae Myung has issued a warning that South Korea may take "additional measures" if Ukraine continues to refuse to apologize for its breach of confidentiality regarding the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs). This statement comes in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's unexpected revelation last week about the transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee made this announcement on his X account amid the ongoing diplomatic tensions between South Korea and Ukraine over this disclosure.
In related developments, South Korea has initiated significant reforms in its criminal justice system by launching a new prosecution service dedicated solely to indictments and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency (SCIA). These entities replace the previous prosecutors' office, which had been in place for 78 years, marking a major overhaul of the system.
Meanwhile, the South Korean government is considering "all possible measures" in response to a recent explosion of North Korean land mines in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The incident injured three South Korean military officers during a search operation, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have urged North Korea to take responsibility and apologize for the blast.
In the banking sector, a data breach at KB Kookmin Bank has raised concerns about potential widespread data leaks. Industry sources revealed that personal information of over 100 customers was compromised through hacking, following a similar breach at Shinhan Bank.
On a positive note, South Korea celebrated a sports victory as its men's archery team won their second consecutive Asian Games gold medal in recurve archery, defeating India in the final match held in Okazaki, Japan. The team, consisting of Lee Woo-seok, Kim Je-deok, and Kim Woo-jin, triumphed with a set score of 5-1.
Additionally, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul emphasized the strong alliance and combined readiness of South Korea and the United States during his first visit to the main U.S. military base south of Seoul. This visit to Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek marked his first in his new role since taking office last month.