Seoul:President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea has issued a warning that the country will take "additional measures" if Ukraine does not officially apologize for denying an agreement to keep the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) secret.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the warning was made public through Lee's account on X amid ongoing diplomatic tensions with Ukraine. The dispute arose after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unexpectedly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea last week.
Seoul has accused Ukraine of violating a bilateral agreement meant to ensure the confidentiality of the transfer, a claim that Ukraine has denied, asserting that no such agreement exists.
President Lee criticized Ukraine for unilaterally revealing the transfer details and making South Korea's leader appear deceitful by denying the confidentiality agreement. He further alleged that Ukraine, when asked to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, instead hinted at the possibility of an imminent military conflict between the Koreas, which he described as an attempt to incite "war on the Korean Peninsula."
Lee emphasized that the issue affects the dignity of both the South Korean people and the nation, stating that he cannot remain silent on the matter.