Seoul threatens measures against Kyiv over the case of North Korean prisoners

South Korea threatens to take measures against Ukraine if the latter fails to honor a confidentiality agreement regarding the transfer of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian armed forces. 

eader Lee Jae-myung also demanded a public apology from Kyiv, describing the matter as a "question of honor" for South Korean citizens and the state.

Ukraine, for its part, maintains that there was never a non-disclosure agreement and has described the incident as a "diplomatic misunderstanding."

 The controversy erupted after Zelenskyy publicly announced the transfer of the two prisoners to South Korea at the UN General Assembly on September 23. Until then, Seoul had refrained from publicly confirming their arrival, citing security reasons.

 South Korean leader Lee Jae-myung claimed on Friday that Ukraine "begged for a war" on the Korean Peninsula instead of apologizing to Seoul for disclosing information regarding the transfer to South Korea of ​​soldiers from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) who had been captured in the Ukraine conflict.

"When the President of the Republic of Korea expressed regret with the utmost courtesy, they denied the existence of such an agreement and branded the other country's head of state a liar. In response to the demand to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, they instead raised the prospect of an imminent inter-Korean military conflict," Lee Jae-myung wrote on X. 

"We express our deep regret over Ukraine's actions. If they continue to refuse to acknowledge the facts and offer a public apology, we will take action," concluded Lee Jae-myung.