Ukraine refuses President Lee Jae-myung's demand for an apology

President Lee Jae-myung posted on X on the 2nd, saying Ukraine had unilaterally disclosed the contents of a confidential agreement and then denied that any agreement existed, warning that if it does not acknowledge this and apologize, additional measures would follow. On the 24th of last month, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made the prisoner repatriation public, Lee had merely said, "I don't know what circumstances were involved, but it is deeply regrettable." However, when Ukraine denied that any confidential agreement had been made at all, Lee escalated his criticism, saying it was "unacceptable" and that Ukraine had made a foreign head of state out to be a liar.

The government judges that Ukraine's denial of the agreement escalated into a matter of trust in the Korean government and the president.

The government has also taken steps of its own. On the 28th of last month, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-ju summoned Ukrainian Charge d'Affaires Andrii Beshkin to demand an official explanation and apology. The presidential office said it was reviewing a plan to recall Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang back to South Korea if the Ukrainian government does not apologize.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of both countries are quietly working behind the scenes to defuse the conflict. A senior Foreign Ministry official, meeting with reporters on the 2nd, said, "We have discussed how (Ukraine) will make its announcement, including the apology," adding, "Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Minister Sybiha are coordinating the level of tone between them."