South Korean President Lee warns of ‘measures’ towards Ukraine
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – SEPTEMBER 22: President of South Korea Lee Jae Myung addresses the 81st session of the United Nations Basic Meeting, which brings collectively leaders and senior representatives of UN member states in New York, United States, on September 22, 2026.
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday slammed Ukraine over its disclosure of handing North Korean prisoners of warfare to Seoul, demanding a public apology and threatening “further measures” towards Kyiv.
In a publish on X, Lee mentioned that Kyiv had unilaterally revealed that some captured North Korean troopers had been despatched to South Korea, regardless of having demanded confidentiality and later claiming there was no secrecy settlement, making the Korean chief appear to be a “liar.”
“As it is a matter in regards to the honor of the Republic of Korea’s individuals and nation, we can’t overlook it,” he mentioned in Korean, translated by Google.
Ukrainian Overseas Minister Andrii Sybiha reportedly described the row on Thursday as a “diplomatic misunderstanding,” which his nation expects to resolve. Seoul stays an necessary accomplice for Kyiv, Sybiha added.
Non-disclosure settlement
On the United Nations Basic Meeting final week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned that Kyiv had despatched two captured North Korean troopers to South Korea.
That prompted South Korea to accuse Ukraine of breaching a nondisclosure settlement in regards to the switch and summoning Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires for an evidence. Seoul additionally mentioned after the speech that Ukraine had requested for the switch to be saved a secret, because it may negatively impression prisoner exchanges with Russia.
“Once we demanded acknowledgement of the settlement and an apology, they as an alternative spoke of an imminent navy conflict between North and South, praying for the outbreak of warfare on the Korean Peninsula—we categorical grave remorse towards Ukraine,” Lee mentioned on Friday.
The feedback comply with Ukrainian presidential chief of workers Kyrylo Budanov interview final week, the place he mentioned that North Korea’s participation within the Ukraine-Russia battle was to arrange for fight on the Korean Peninsula.
“The state of affairs is escalating every single day. And it is just a matter of time earlier than a set off occasion happens that can result in uncontrolled penalties,” he added, in keeping with a Google translation of his Telegram publish in Ukrainian.
Whereas there was no rationalization from Kyiv on why Zelenskyy made the announcement on the UNGA, South Korea’s Nationwide Intelligence Service reportedly instructed lawmakers that he may have completed it to stir help in Seoul for sending Kyiv weapons and different help.
In August, Zelenskyy had requested South Korea to help Ukraine by offering air protection programs, one thing Seoul has not been supportive of even because it has supplied humanitarian help to Ukraine.
