South Korean President Lee Jae-myung issued a formal ultimatum to Ukraine on Friday, October 2, 2026, threatening “further action” if Kyiv does not apologize for the public disclosure of a North Korean prisoner-of-war transfer. The demand marks a significant diplomatic rift between the two allies, who are now at odds over whether a confidentiality agreement was breached.
The dispute stems from the handling of two North Korean soldiers captured in early 2025 while fighting alongside Russian forces. Following their capture, the soldiers were transferred to South Korea in mid-September 2026 after seeking asylum. Seoul officials maintain that the transfer was intended to remain secret to protect the soldiers’ families in North Korea and to avoid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The arrangement became public on September 23, 2026, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed the transfer during his address to the United Nations General Assembly. Seoul claims this disclosure was a direct violation of a bilateral confidentiality agreement; however, President Zelenskyy’s office and other Ukrainian officials have explicitly denied that such an agreement ever existed.
In a statement posted to social media, President Lee accused Ukraine of “attempting to provoke a war on the Korean Peninsula” by publicizing the matter. The South Korean government has already summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador to lodge a formal protest over the incident.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has attempted to downplay the friction, describing the situation as a “diplomatic misunderstanding” and stating that Kyiv is working toward a resolution.
The disclosure of the North Korean soldiers captured in early 2025 also confirms the long-term military involvement of Pyongyang’s forces in the European conflict. While Seoul has not specified what “further action” it might take, the warning suggests a potential freeze in diplomatic coordination if an apology is not forthcoming.
