South Korean President Lee Jae-myung warned that Seoul may take additional measures against Ukraine if Kiev does not acknowledge the existence of a confidentiality agreement related to the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers. According to Reuters, the South Korean side insists that such an agreement has been reached, News.bg reports.
“If the refusal to acknowledge the facts and make a public apology continues, we will take additional measures“, Lee Jae-myung wrote on the social network X.
The president also expressed “deep regret“ over statements by the Ukrainian side about a possible future military clash between North and South Korea. He said such comments could heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The dispute comes as the Lee Jae-myung government seeks to ease tensions with Pyongyang and restore dialogue with North Korea. At the same time, Seoul is closely monitoring military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow, including the participation of North Korean soldiers in the war in Ukraine.
According to analyst Cho Han-beom of the Korea Institute for National Unification, possible sanctions or other measures by Seoul could affect support for Ukraine. South Korea is providing Kiev with humanitarian and financial assistance and is participating in the country's reconstruction efforts.
Cho noted that the prolonged confrontation between Seoul and Kiev is not in the interests of either side, as South Korea also receives information from Ukraine about North Korea's military activity.
The disagreements over the two North Korean prisoners add new tension to relations between Seoul and Kiev, which have so far developed mainly around South Korea's support for Ukraine and concerns about deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.