What did Lee Jae Myung say South Korea would do if Ukraine refuses to apologize over the North Korean POW transfer disclosure?

Lee said South Korea would take additional measures if Ukraine continues to deny the facts and refuses to offer an official apology. He made the warning publicly on X amid the diplomatic dispute.

Why is South Korea accusing Ukraine of breaking a confidentiality agreement over the POW transfer?

Seoul says Ukraine disclosed the transfer of two North Korean POWs despite a prior agreement to keep it secret. Lee said Ukraine had asked for confidentiality, then later denied the agreement existed and publicly exposed the transfer.

What did Lee say about Ukraine's public disclosure of the North Korean POW transfer?

Lee said Ukraine unilaterally revealed the transfer, turned the South Korean leader into a liar by denying the agreement, and responded to Seoul's apology demand by referring to a possible inter-Korean military conflict. He said the issue touches South Korea's dignity and national interest.

Lee warns of 'additional measures' if Ukraine refuses to apologize for NK POW transfer disclosure

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung warned Friday that South Korea will take additional measures if Ukraine does not apologize for denying a confidentiality agreement over the transfer of two North Korean POWs. He said Ukraine publicly disclosed the transfer, called the denial a falsehood, and accused Kyiv of bringing war on the Korean Peninsula. Lee said he could not stay silent because the matter concerns the dignity of South Korea and its people.

Key Facts

Lee said Ukraine had earlier demanded confidentiality from South Korea before later denying that any nondisclosure agreement existed.
The dispute centers on Ukraine's disclosure last week of the transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea.
Lee accused Ukraine of making the South Korean head of state a liar by saying the confidentiality agreement did not exist.
He said Ukraine had mentioned the possibility of an imminent inter-Korean military conflict in response to Seoul's demand for an apology.
Lee posted the warning on his X account.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 2, 2026 11:17 am KST
Updated Oct 2, 2026 11:23 am KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Joint Press Corps

President Lee Jae Myung warned Friday that South Korea will take "additional measures" should Ukraine continue to refuse to officially apologize for denying its agreement to keep the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) secret.

The South Korean president issued the warning on his X account amid a diplomatic wrangle with Ukraine over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's surprise disclosure last week of the transfer of two North Korean POWs to South Korea.

Seoul has since accused Ukraine of breaching a bilateral agreement to keep the transfer secret, but Ukraine has denied the existence of the confidentiality agreement.

"If (Ukraine) continues to deny the fact and refuse to offer an official apology, (Seoul) will take additional measures," Lee said.

Lee affirmed that Ukraine unilaterally disclosed the transfer despite having previously demanded confidentiality from South Korea, and then made the head of state of the counterpart country a "liar" by saying the nondisclosure agreement did not exist.

"In response to a demand to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, it has instead mentioned (the possibility of) an imminent inter-Korean military conflict," Lee said, accusing Ukraine of attempting to bring "war on the Korean Peninsula" and expressing "serious regret."

"As it is a matter related to the dignity of the South Korean people and the country, I cannot remain silent on it," the president said.

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