Kyiv's top envoy says POW transfer dispute with Seoul already resolved, signals no apology coming

Ukraine signaled Monday that it has no plans to apologize to South Korea for disclosing the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war (POW), with its foreign minister saying the dispute has already been resolved.

“Everything stemmed from different interpretations of the confidentiality requirements at various stages of the transfer of the prisoners of war," Andrii Sybiha told media outlet RBC-Ukraine. "Ukraine fulfilled all its obligations."

Sybiha added he was confident relations between the two countries would continue to develop normally and repeated that the matter was closed.

The Ukrainian minister's comments follow Seoul’s decision to recall its ambassador to Ukraine and demand an official apology — a protest over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s unilateral disclosure of the repatriation.

Zelensky announced last month at the United Nations General Assembly in New York that two North Korean POWs had been sent to South Korea. Seoul objected, saying the two sides had agreed to keep the transfer confidential. Kyiv countered that it had never promised secrecy, and the rift deepened.

Seoul decided last Thursday to recall its ambassador, Park Ki-chang, who returned to Seoul on Saturday. It is the first time South Korea has recalled an ambassador in protest since it temporarily summoned its envoy to Japan home in 2008 over Tokyo’s claim to the Dokdo islets in school teaching guidelines.

BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]