An unusual diplomatic dispute has emerged between South Korea and Ukraine. Last week, during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Zelenskyy disclosed that two North Korean soldiers captured in Russia had been transferred to South Korea. On Sunday evening, Sung Ki-hong, a senior presidential secretary in Seoul, expressed “deep regret” over Ukraine’s “unilateral and sudden” disclosure of the matter. He stated that Ukraine had requested confidentiality, and South Korea had agreed due to the sensitivity of the situation. The South Korean government has called for an official explanation and apology from Ukraine. However, Zelenskyy’s communications adviser, Dmytro Litvin, denied South Korea’s account, asserting that “no such agreement existed.” The incident has strained relations between the two countries and created domestic political complications for Lee Jin-man, as opposition parties accused him of fearing provocation from Pyongyang and seeking a false peace by appeasing North Korea. The two North Korean soldiers were injured and captured in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025. They are believed to be the only known North Koreans who survived captivity after being taken prisoner. Both men, speaking to South Korean media, expressed their desire to relocate to South Korea. The South Korean Foreign Ministry stated that Seoul and Kyiv had agreed in July this year to “treat the two prisoners of war in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles, and to respect the individual’s free will.”
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Original source: toutiao.com/article/1877629650490442/
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