South Korea considers Ukraine's apologies over the disclosure of information about North Korean prisoners insufficient
Seoul threatened Kyiv with "decisive measures" after Sybiha's apologies
South Korea received an apology from Ukraine over the disclosure of information about the transfer to South Korea of two prisoners of war from North Korea, but Seoul said this was not enough. On 6 October 2026, South Korea’s foreign minister Cho Hyun said this during parliamentary hearings. The agency Yonhap reported this.
According to the Korean diplomat, he is in constant contact with Ukraine’s foreign minister Andriy Sybiha. Messages from the Ukrainian minister contained apologies, but Seoul expected a different reaction.
“The messages I received from Minister Sybiha contained apologies. But there is a difference from the level we expect, so we intend to take decisive measures,” said Cho Hyun.
According to Yonhap, the South Korean government is considering various response options. These include a possible recall of the country’s ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chan. At the same time, Seoul emphasizes that it seeks to resolve the dispute through diplomatic channels and to maintain partnership relations with Kyiv.
The dispute arose after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month publicly announced the transfer to South Korea of two North Korean prisoners of war. Seoul said there had been an agreement between the parties not to disclose this information in order to protect the prisoners themselves and their families who remain in North Korea. The Ukrainian side previously denied the existence of a formal non-disclosure agreement.
According to the South Korean side, Ukraine itself requested at the initial stage of the negotiations that information about the transfer of the prisoners be kept secret, in particular because of the possible impact on future prisoner exchange negotiations.
Two soldiers from North Korea were captured by Ukrainian forces in January 2025 during fighting in the Kursk region, where they were fighting on the side of Russian troops. They arrived in South Korea in mid-September 2026.
Наразі Seoul continues diplomatic contacts with Kyiv, but, according to the head of South Korea’s foreign ministry, the government is ready to consider further measures in response to the situation.
