The Kyiv Independent Live in London: 
South Korean president warns of 'additional measures' if Ukraine doesn't apologize for POW dispute
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Oct. 2 warned of "additional measures" against Ukraine if its government refuses to take responsibility for a downward spiral in Kyiv-Seoul relations.
President Volodymyr Zelensky angered Seoul after providing details of a transfer of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea during a Sept. 23 U.N. General Assembly speech.
The two POWs were among the several thousand soldiers that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un dispatched to help Russia fight off a Ukrainian incursion in Russia's Kursk Oblast in 2024.
South Korea claims Zelensky breached a confidentiality agreement between the two nations by revealing the transfer. The Ukrainian Presidential Office responded by claiming that no such agreement existed, prompting an additional rebuke from Seoul.
Kyiv's denial is "making the head of state of another country out to be a liar," Lee wrote on social media.
"If you (Ukraine) continue to refuse to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology, we will take additional measures. As this is a matter concerning the honor of the Republic of Korea's people and nation, we cannot overlook it."
It is not clear what measures Lee is referring to, but South Korea is one of Ukraine's few clear supporters in East Asia and is considered a potential source of various types of military equipment, including PAC-3 Patriot interceptor missiles.
However, Seoul has long refused to provide direct military aid to Ukraine, citing legislative constraints and limiting its support to humanitarian and other non-lethal assistance.
Like most allies of Ukraine, South Korea retains its own connections to Russia and, along with Japan, has successfully lobbied the EU and the U.K. to allow it to continue importing Russian liquefied natural gas unimpeded.
In his social media post, Lee also said that "when we demanded acknowledgment of the agreement and an apology, they (Ukraine) instead spoke of an imminent military clash between North and South, praying for the outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula."
Though Lee did not specify which comments he was referring to, Zelensky's chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, warned in a recent interview that North Korea is learning lessons from the Russia-Ukraine war and building up its military capabilities to be ready for combat operations in its own region.
