Diplomatic dispute between Ukraine and South Korea after the transfer of North Korean prisoners was revealed

Li's statement is a direct reaction to the post by Kyryla Budanov, the head of the Ukrainian president's office. He announced in a social media post that the North Korean army, fighting on Russia's side, "is learning from our war and is arming itself," primarily to prepare for "active fighting in its own region."

President Li threatened Ukraine with "additional measures" in the dispute over prisoners of war.

If (the authorities in Kiev - editor's note) continue to refuse to acknowledge the facts and publicly apologize, we will take additional measures. Since this is a matter concerning the prestige of the nation and the state, it cannot be ignored, the South Korean leader emphasized.

Li did not specify what actions his administration might take against Ukraine.

I express deep regret towards Ukraine, which (...) makes the head of a foreign state a liar and, when called upon to acknowledge the facts and apologize, speaks of an "imminent armed clash between the North and the South", provoking the outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula, he added.

The diplomatic dispute between Kyiv and Seoul broke out after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky unexpectedly revealed at the UN forum last week information about the transfer of two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk Oblast in 2025 to South Korea.

"A Diplomatic Misunderstanding"

This caused outrage among the South Korean authorities, because according to the local intelligence, Kiev asked for complete secrecy due to fear of the negative impact of disclosing the transfer of soldiers on its negotiations with Russia regarding the exchange of prisoners.

Referring to these allegations, the Ukrainian administration denied that there was an agreement to keep the transfer secret. However, trying to ease the growing tensions, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Andriy Sybiha, said on Thursday that the resulting situation was just a "diplomatic misunderstanding". The minister noted that South Korea remains an "important country" and Kiev sincerely hopes for a quick resolution of this issue.

North Korea is brother and sister to Russia

North Korea, ruled by Kim Jong Un, supports the Russian Federation. According to the United States, South Korea and Ukraine, Pyongyang supplies Russia with, among others, ammunition and rockets used in the war against Ukraine. Both countries also tightened military cooperation and signed a strategic partnership treaty in 2024.