Ukraine: South Korea Is a Very Important Country... Hopes Misunderstanding Will Be Resolved Soon

[Financial News]  The Ukrainian government has moved to defuse diplomatic friction with the South Korean government after recently disclosing that North Korean prisoners of war captured in the war in Ukraine had been transferred to South Korea.
On the 1st (local time), according to nv.ua and other Ukrainian media outlets, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told reporters, "I do not want to call this an 'incident.' Let us call it a kind of 'diplomatic misunderstanding.'" He added, "I sincerely hope this situation will be resolved as soon as possible, and we are currently working toward that goal."
Sybiha went on to say, "South Korea is a very important country to us," adding, "We hope that the diplomatic momentum and ongoing relationship we are genuinely building with South Korea, as well as the concrete achievements, will continue."
Last week, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy unexpectedly disclosed in an address to the United Nations General Assembly that two captured North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea. The South Korean presidential office strongly protested, demanding an official explanation and apology from Ukraine for breaking the agreement between the two countries to keep the matter confidential in consideration of the prisoners' safety and the diplomatic repercussions. A senior South Korean government official pointed out that security precautions were essential given humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners and their families left behind, as well as security and diplomatic considerations.
The two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine in January 2025 are the first surviving prisoners of war captured since North Korea entered the war in 2024 to provide military support to Russia.
Meanwhile, after signing a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Russia that includes a mutual defense treaty, North Korea sent approximately 14,000 troops to help repel Ukrainian forces that had infiltrated Russia's Kursk region. In a statement this week, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that more than 8,000 North Korean troops remain in Russia and that around 10,000 others are training for additional deployment.
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