Cheong Wa Dae: "Ukraine's denial of a confidentiality agreement on North Korean POWs is false ... demands official apology"

[Financial News] Cheong Wa Dae said on the 27th that it regarded a statement from the Ukrainian presidential office denying any agreement to keep the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea confidential as "false public information" and demanded an official explanation and apology. It said Ukraine had requested confidentiality first and the two countries had agreed to it, but later disclosed the repatriation and denied that any such agreement existed. Cheong Wa Dae added that it was considering any further necessary measures.
Sung Ki-hong, Cheong Wa Dae's senior secretary for public relations and communications, said in a statement that day, "We strongly regret the Ukrainian government's unilateral disclosure in violation of the agreement, followed by the false public statement that no confidentiality agreement existed, and demand an official explanation and apology."
Sung explained that the issue of repatriating North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea was a sensitive matter involving security, diplomacy, national defense and human rights, and had been discussed meticulously for a long time. He said that during consultations between the two countries through various channels on multiple occasions, the Ukrainian government had first requested that the repatriation be kept confidential for security reasons.
According to Sung, Ukraine cited concerns that sending the North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea could trigger domestic criticism that it had given up the opportunity to exchange them for a large number of its own prisoners. The South Korean government also agreed to keep the matter confidential, taking into account the safety of the prisoners and their families as well as diplomatic and security considerations, and proceeded with the repatriation.
However, Sung criticized the Ukrainian government for disclosing the North Korean prisoners' transfer to South Korea during the Ukrainian president's address to the UN General Assembly without providing a sufficient prior explanation or holding specific consultations.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during his address to the UN General Assembly in New York on the 23rd local time that two North Korean prisoners of war had recently been sent to South Korea. On the 24th, President Lee Jae Myung wrote on X, formerly Twitter, "You disclosed it in violation of the confidentiality agreement," adding, "I don't know what circumstances were involved, but it is very regrettable."
Sung claimed that after President Lee expressed regret, the Ukrainian presidential office falsely announced, without consultation, understanding or even prior notice, that "there had never been an agreement to keep the matter confidential." He pointed out that this had even sparked a domestic controversy over allegations that President Lee had lied.
Sung criticized the Ukrainian presidential office's public information department for denying the agreement, calling it "an act that seriously undermines trust between the governments of the two countries and causes significant harm to their friendly relations." He added, "We are reviewing any further measures necessary on this issue."

[email protected] Seong Seok-woo Reporter