South Korea says it received ‘insufficient’ apology from Ukraine over North Korean POWs, mulls envoy recall

South Korea has received an apology from Kyiv over the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs), but the message fell short of Seoul’s expectations, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Oct. 6, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Cho said the apology was among the messages he received from Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

“But there is a difference from the level we expect, so we intend to take firm measures,” the South Korean chief diplomat said, according to Yonhap.

The minister noted that the South Korean government is considering several options, including a potential recall of South Korea’s Ambassador to Ukraine, an idea proposed by a lawmaker.

President Volodymyr Zelensky angered Seoul by disclosing information on two North Korean POWs transferred to South Korea during his speech on Sept. 23 at the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

South Korea claimed this breached a non-disclosure agreement and demanded an apology. In response, the Ukrainian Presidential Office said no such agreement existed, calling it “strange” to keep the transfer a secret.

The disagreement escalated on Oct. 2 when South Korean President Lee Jae Myung wrote on social media that Kyiv’s denial of the agreement’s existence was “branding the head of state of the other country a liar,” warning of “additional measures” if Kyiv does not apologize.

“This is a matter concerning the dignity of the Republic of Korea’s citizens and the nation, we cannot overlook it,” he wrote on X.

During a parliamentary audit on Oct. 6, Cho emphasized that the arrangement was meant to keep North Korean soldiers and their families safe, noting that the Ukrainian side was the first to introduce the non-disclosure idea.

Sybiha has previously dubbed the incident a “diplomatic misunderstanding,” adding that he hopes the situation is resolved promptly as South Korea is an important ally.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has not commented on whether Kyiv issued an apology to Seoul.

Ukraine announced the capture of two North Korean soldiers in early 2025 as an estimated 11,000 North Korean troops were deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) revealed in June that there were over 7,000 North Korean casualties, both killed and injured, during Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast from August 2024 to March 2025.