South Korea summons Ukrainian envoy over disclosure of secret POW transfer
South Korea summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador after Volodymyr Zelensky publicly announced the secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war.
South Korea has formally summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador, Andrii Vieshkin, to protest the public revelation that Kyiv transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul. Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo expressed "strong regret" over President Volodymyr Zelensky's decision to announce the handover during an address at the United Nations General Assembly.
According to officials in Seoul, the prisoner transfer had been intended to remain confidential under a prior bilateral agreement. South Korean representatives stated that the public disclosure caused a serious breach of diplomatic trust between the two nations and demanded a formal explanation and apology from the Ukrainian government.
Sources: BBC News, Cyprus Mail, The Insider, Verstka.
Sources
- The Insider — Южная Корея потребовала от Украины извинений за раскрытие тайной передачи северокорейских пленных Сеулу
- Cyprus Mail — South Korea summons Ukraine envoy in protest over North Korean POW transfer
- Verstka — Южная Корея потребовала от Украины извинений за разглашение данных о передаче двух пленных военных КНДР
- BBC News — Seoul summons Ukraine envoy over North Korean prisoner-of-war row