South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung has threatened to take unspecified "further action" if Ukraine does not issue a public apology for revealing that two North Korean prisoners of war had been sent to the South.
The disclosure was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the United Nations General Assembly last week, a move Seoul said should have remained confidential.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, described the situation as a "diplomatic misunderstanding" and said Kyiv was working to resolve the issue.
Lee criticised the description on X, stating that the matter involved "the dignity of the Korean people and the nation."
Lee’s office argued that Ukraine had requested secrecy to protect the families of the North Korean soldiers and to avoid criticism that it had forfeited an opportunity to exchange prisoners.
The Ukrainian side rejected the idea of any confidential arrangement, further inflaming tensions.
Back home, Lee faced accusations of covering up the transfer to appease Pyongyang, and his administration has been criticised for failing to keep the matter under wraps.
The two North Korean soldiers, who had previously expressed a desire to be sent to South Korea, are among thousands who supported Russia in the Ukraine war.
Sybiha, speaking to Ukrainian media, said he hopes the situation will be resolved "in the very near future" and that "South Korea is an important country for us".
Lee warned that Ukraine might "bring war on the Korean Peninsula" and urged an immediate apology, claiming that a military clash over the matter is imminent.
Despite its sympathy for Ukraine since Russia’s invasion, South Korea has maintained a policy of not providing lethal weapons to any belligerent country.
