Seoul Rebukes Ukraine for Disclosing That Two North Korean POWs Were Sent to South Korea

The case of two North Korean soldiers captured in the Ukraine war has exploded into a war of words between Kyiv and Seoul.South Korea is incensed at Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, for revealing in a speech at the United Nations last month that the prisoners — the only North Koreans captured in the war — have been transferred to the South Korean capital. What’s happened to the two since they got there is not known, but Seoul says the transfer was supposed to have been kept a secret.Stung by the possible impact of the transfer on futile attempts at dialogue with North Korea, South Korea’s president, Lee Jae-myung, is now threatening “further measures” if Ukraine does not acknowledge the breach of confidentiality and apologize.It’s not clear what measures Mr. Lee has in mind, but there’s no doubt that inter-Korean tensions have been rising since a September 21 mine explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers inside the demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas.The outspoken sister of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, came out with a vitriolic blast against South Korean claims that the North had planted the mine. The South Koreans, said Kim Yo-jong, have concocted “a self-directed play.”Ukraine, Mr. Lee believes, is making matters far worse.“We deeply regret Ukraine’s actions, which include inciting an imminent military clash between the two Koreas and attempting to provoke a war on the Korean Peninsula, despite our demand for them to acknowledge the agreement and apologize,” Yonhap News quoted him as posting on X. “This concerns the dignity of the South Korean people and the nation, and it cannot be overlooked.”Foes of the left-leaning president charge that Mr. Lee appears more eager to inveigh against Ukraine than to say a critical word about North Korea.The leader of the conservative People Power Party, Jang Dong-hyeok, raised the issue on Facebook, asking “Why can’t he say a word to Iran and North Korea when he makes such a big deal about Ukraine, which sent back North Korean prisoners?”More specifically, Mr. Jang wanted to know, “Is Ukraine’s mistake bigger than Iran’s missile attack on our ship?” and “Is it a more serious issue than North Korea planting mines that injured our soldiers?”Mr. Jang, as reported by South Korea’s biggest-selling newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, broadened the questions into an attack on Mr. Lee’s overall reluctance to criticize the North in his pursuit of reconciliation as well as his refusal to cooperate with America in opening the Strait of Hormuz.Could it be, Mr. Jang asked, “because Iran is a close friend of North Korea?” The North is known to collaborate with Iran on producing missiles and exchanging nuclear technology.Ukraine, besides denying having formally agreed to keep the transfer of North Korean prisoners a secret, sees South Korea’s indignation as a sign that it fears a possible North Korean attack on the South.The Korea Herald has quoted Mr. Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, as saying it’s “only a matter of time before a trigger event occurs that could lead to uncontrollable consequences.” North Korea, he said, wants “first and foremost, to be ready for active combat operations in its own region.”Chosun Ilbo reported that South Korean conservatives are jumping on the issue while Mr. Lee refrains from speaking out against the North and refuses to sell arms to Ukraine.“He is asking an ally for responsibility that should be directed at North Korea,” a former unification minister, Kwon Young-se, posted on Facebook. “Ukraine is our ally fighting against Russia and North Korean troops deployed to Russia. … The two North Korean soldiers who came to South Korea this time would not have stepped on this land without Ukraine’s cooperation.”Another conservative critic, Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, asked, “Is he truly a pro-North Korea sympathizer president?” Mr. Lee, the member said, “remained silent when Kim Yo-jong spread lies about the mine provocation being a ‘self-directed play’ but expressed belated anger toward Ukraine.”

Seoul Rebukes Ukraine for Disclosing That Two North Korean POWs Were Sent to South Korea

Seoul Rebukes Ukraine for Disclosing That Two North Korean POWs Were Sent to South Korea

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