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President Lee Jae-myung delivers a commemorative address at the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony held at Gyeryongdae in South Chungcheong Province on the 1st. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung stated on the 2nd regarding the diplomatic friction with Ukraine over the public disclosure of the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, "If Ukraine continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology, we will take additional measures." While Ukraine defined the matter as a "diplomatic misunderstanding" and expressed a desire for a swift resolution, President Lee raised the pressure, emphasizing that recognizing the non-disclosure agreement and apologizing must come first.

On the morning of the same day, President Lee shared an article on his X (formerly Twitter) account concerning remarks made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, writing, "This is a matter concerning the dignity of the people and the nation of the Republic of Korea, and it cannot be overlooked."

President Lee continued, "Regarding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war, we agreed to keep the matter confidential at Ukraine's request, but Ukraine disclosed it unilaterally."

He criticized further, "When the President of the Republic of Korea expressed regret with the utmost courtesy, they made the head of state of a counterpart nation out to be a liar by claiming there was no such agreement."

He also added, "When urged to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, Ukraine instead made remarks about an imminent inter-Korean military clash, and I express grave regret toward Ukraine for attempting to incite the outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula."

On the 24th of last month, President Lee likewise expressed regret, stating, "Ukraine breached a confidentiality agreement by disclosing the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea." The issue subsequently escalated into a dispute between the two nations after the Ukrainian presidential office countered that no confidentiality agreement had existed.

Cheong Wa Dae defined Ukraine's explanation as "false briefing" and demanded an official clarification and apology.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also summoned the Ukrainian charge d'affaires to South Korea on the 28th of last month to protest the denial of the non-disclosure agreement, demanding an official explanation, an apology, and preventive measures against recurrence.

Recently, Ukraine has shown a willingness to resolve the situation and improve relations.

Meeting with local reporters on the 1st, Foreign Minister Sybiha said regarding the friction, "I would not like to call this matter an 'incident.' Let us characterize it as a 'diplomatic misunderstanding.'"

He added, "I sincerely hope that this situation will be resolved in the very near future, and we are working toward that end. South Korea is an important country for us."

                                                                                                        Park Young-hoon