President Lee Jae-myung stated on October 2 that if Ukraine does not publicly apologize for disclosing the issue surrounding the repatriation of North Korean soldiers, he will take further action.
On the morning of the same day, President Lee shared an article on X (formerly Twitter) regarding comments made by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, stating, "This is a matter concerning the dignity of the Republic of Korea and its people, and it cannot be overlooked."
He criticized, "We agreed to keep the repatriation of North Korean POWs confidential at Ukraine's request, but they unilaterally made it public. I expressed my disappointment as the President of the Republic of Korea, yet they turned the absence of an agreement into a claim that the foreign leader is a liar."
President Lee continued, "I have expressed my desire for them to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, but instead, they have mentioned the imminent military conflict between the two Koreas, which raises serious concerns about their intentions for war on the Korean Peninsula. If they continue to refuse to acknowledge the facts and apologize publicly, I will take additional measures."
Earlier, Foreign Minister Kuleba told local reporters that he did not want to label the conflict over the repatriation of North Korean soldiers as an 'incident,' suggesting it be regarded as a 'diplomatic misunderstanding.'
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian President's Office, also claimed in an interview with local media on September 27 that North Korea's involvement in the war has increased its military capabilities, threatening stability on the Korean Peninsula. He referenced a recent landmine explosion in the DMZ, suggesting that military clashes between the two Koreas are imminent.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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