South Korea's Lee demands Ukraine apology, weighs ambassador recall
In short
President Lee Jae-myung said on 2 October that Ukraine had unilaterally disclosed the repatriation of two North Korean soldiers to the South and had made the head of state of a counterpart country out to be a liar, demanding an acknowledgment and a public apology. The government is reported to be considering recalling South Korea’s ambassador to Ukraine if no apology comes, while Ukraine’s foreign minister has described the matter as a “diplomatic misunderstanding.” Seoul and Kyiv disagree over whether an agreement to keep the repatriation confidential existed.
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President Lee Jae-myung said on 2 October that Ukraine had agreed to keep confidential the repatriation of two North Korean soldiers to South Korea but disclosed it unilaterally, SBS News and Hankook Ilbo reported. In a post on X, Lee said Kyiv had “made the head of state of a counterpart country out to be a liar,” and warned that he would take further measures if Ukraine continued to refuse to acknowledge the agreement and apologize publicly. [ 2 , 3 ]
The government is reported to be considering recalling South Korea’s ambassador to Ukraine. Seoul Shinmun reported that the Blue House was reviewing a summons and would consider additional steps if no public apology came, and Hankook Ilbo reported the same. Song Young-gil, a Democratic Party lawmaker and Lee’s special adviser on peace diplomacy, said on MBC radio that “we must secure an official apology” and that a recall of the ambassador to Ukraine was possible. Hankook Ilbo noted that a recall is the strongest form of diplomatic protest, and that South Korea’s last such move was in July 2008, when Japan asserted sovereignty over Dokdo in a textbook manual and Seoul summoned then-ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul-hyun. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on 1 October that he did not want to call the matter an “incident” and would leave it as a “diplomatic misunderstanding,” adding that South Korea is an important country to Ukraine and that he hoped the situation would be resolved, according to Hankook Ilbo. Lee shared a report on those remarks on X while pressing his demand for acknowledgment and a public apology, the paper said. [ 3 ]
Hankook Ilbo reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the repatriation at the UN General Assembly on 23 September, and that Seoul protested while Ukraine said no confidentiality agreement had existed — a dispute that turned into a war of words. SBS News reported that Cheong Wa Dae issued a statement on 27 September and that Lee repeated his criticism on 2 October, saying he expressed “serious regret toward Ukraine, which is attempting to start a war on the Korean peninsula.” That followed remarks by Ukrainian presidential office chief Kyrylo Budanov in a foreign media interview on 27 September that North Korea had joined the war to prepare for combat in its own territory, SBS News said; Hankook Ilbo cited Budanov as saying another incident had occurred at the inter-Korean MDL and that an incident with uncontrollable consequences was only a matter of time. [ 2 , 3 ]
Opposition People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk criticized Lee, asking whether the matter was a greater wrong than Iran firing missiles at South Korean ships or North Korea laying mines that maimed South Korean soldiers. Hankook Ilbo reported that former diplomats and experts voiced concern about an excessive reaction: a former ambassador said that while Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure deserved a protest, Seoul should be cautious about pressing a country invaded by Russia, and Asan Institute researcher Kim Se-mi said Lee’s response went beyond diplomatic language and that opportunities for South Korean companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction should be considered. A senior government official said Seoul was communicating with Kyiv over the level of an apology. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The dispute is over two North Korean soldiers whose repatriation to the South Ukraine disclosed, and it has escalated into a public argument between Seoul and Kyiv. Hankook Ilbo reported that a recall is the strongest form of diplomatic protest and that South Korea last used one in 2008; experts the paper cited warned that pressing Ukraine too hard could touch relations with NATO and the United States and chances for South Korean companies in Ukraine’s reconstruction. Government officials say they are still talking with Kyiv about the level of any apology.
Key facts
- President Lee Jae-myung said on 2 October that he would take further measures if Ukraine continued to refuse to acknowledge the agreement and apologize publicly. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Lee said in a post on X that Ukraine had agreed to keep the repatriation of two North Korean soldiers confidential but disclosed it unilaterally, and that this made the head of state of a counterpart country a liar. [ 2 , 3 ]
- The government is reported to be considering recalling South Korea’s ambassador to Ukraine. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on 1 October that he would not call the matter an “incident” but a “diplomatic misunderstanding,” and that South Korea is an important country to Ukraine. [ 3 ]
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the repatriation of the two North Korean soldiers at the UN General Assembly on 23 September, according to Hankook Ilbo. [ 3 ]
- Ukraine has said there was no agreement to keep the repatriation confidential, while Seoul says there was. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Song Young-gil, a Democratic Party lawmaker and Lee’s special adviser on peace diplomacy, said on MBC radio that an official apology must be secured and that recalling the ambassador to Ukraine was possible. [ 3 ]
- People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk criticized Lee, asking whether the matter was a greater wrong than Iran firing missiles at South Korean ships or North Korea laying mines that maimed South Korean soldiers. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- President Lee Jae-myung publicly criticized Ukraine over its disclosure of the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea and demanded an acknowledgment and a public apology, warning of further measures. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The South Korean government is considering recalling its ambassador to Ukraine. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Lee’s criticism came in a post on X on 2 October. [ 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Seoul and Kyiv had agreed to keep the repatriation of the two North Korean soldiers confidential. South Korea says an agreement existed and was broken; Ukraine said there was no confidentiality agreement, as reported by SBS News and Hankook Ilbo.
- Whether South Korea will actually recall its ambassador to Ukraine and what further measures it might take. Reported as under review by Seoul Shinmun and Hankook Ilbo and mentioned by a presidential adviser, but no decision has been announced.
- Whether Ukraine will issue a public apology. Hankook Ilbo reports a senior government official saying the two sides are communicating over the level of an apology; no outcome is reported.
- Which remarks by Ukrainian presidential office chief Kyrylo Budanov Lee was responding to, and when they were made. SBS News cites a 27 September foreign media interview about North Korea’s reasons for joining the war; Hankook Ilbo cites a recent statement about an incident at the inter-Korean MDL.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Seoul Shinmun reports that the Blue House is reviewing whether to summon South Korea’s ambassador to Ukraine and will consider further measures if Kyiv refuses a public apology (2 October). [ 1 ]
- SBS News reports Lee’s post accusing Ukraine of making a counterpart head of state a liar, and that recalling the ambassador is under consideration (2 October). [ 2 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports Lee’s demand for an official apology, the possible ambassador recall, Ukraine’s “diplomatic misunderstanding” line and opposition and expert reactions (3 October). [ 3 ]
- SBS News publishes a summary of its report on Lee’s criticism and the possible recall (3 October). [ 4 ]