▲ Foreign Minister Cho Hyun enters a reception room for a commemorative photo during a meeting with visiting Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Government Complex Seoul Annex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the afternoon of June 30.
A senior Foreign Ministry official said on Friday (October 2) that the foreign ministers of South Korea and Ukraine have been directly communicating to coordinate the content and tone of an announcement, including an apology from Ukraine, regarding the controversy over a non-disclosure agreement on the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war.
Meeting with reporters on Friday, the senior official said, "We have been discussing how to make an announcement, including an apology," adding, "It is difficult to elaborate because an agreement has not yet been reached on its content or level."
According to the official, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha continue to consult daily on the matter through text messages and other channels.
The official noted that considerations regarding the wartime situation and face-saving for Ukraine are also being factored into the discussions between the ministers.
At the same time, the official repeatedly made clear that a non-disclosure agreement existed between the two nations regarding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war.
"There was clearly an agreement from the outset to maintain confidentiality," the senior official said, explaining that while Seoul had received advance notice of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech plans prior to his address at the United Nations, it was not informed specifically that the repatriation of North Korean POWs would be disclosed.
The official added, "We conveyed our stance that we hoped this would not breach confidentiality, but in effect, it was a breach (of the non-disclosure agreement)."
In response to a question regarding the scope of the confidentiality agreement, the official explained, "The scope covers the entirety of this matter," adding, "It does not mean that certain parts could be disclosed, but rather that the entire matter was to be kept confidential."
When asked who the parties to the confidentiality agreement between the two countries were, the official replied that discussions had been ongoing since the previous administration and were finalized through a meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries following multiple rounds of working-level talks.
The official explained that the South Korean government made clear at the time that the handling of North Korean POWs' custody was a matter to be decided under international law and the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, and that the repatriation of the prisoners was not linked to any other compensation for Ukraine.
The senior official emphasized, "We made it clear that we would not link this to any other compensation."
The senior official also reiterated that the North Korean POWs' departure for South Korea was based on their own free will.
Asked whether the North Korean prisoners had firmly expressed their free will to come to South Korea until the very end, the official added, "Their free will was verified multiple times," explaining, "Ukraine, our government, and a third party all confirmed their clear free will. We cannot disclose who the third party is."
In response to a question about whether the government had plans to disclose the repatriation of the North Korean POWs to South Korea at a later date, the official said, "We did not have any plans regarding when to disclose it."
The official continued, "If possible, we had to consider the two prisoners themselves, as well as their families," explaining, "We intended to keep it confidential until the very end if possible."
This meant that, just as the government considers the personal protection of North Korean defectors from a humanitarian perspective, the safety of the North Korean prisoners and their families was given top priority.
Minister Sybiha also addressed related questions from local reporters on Friday, remarking, "I sincerely hope this situation will be resolved in the very near future, and we are working toward that," adding, "To us, South Korea is an important country."
Sybiha reportedly stated that he has remained in direct contact with South Korea's foreign minister over recent days.
However, President Lee Jae-myung reposted an article covering Sybiha's remarks on his X account on Friday, stating, "I express deep regret toward Ukraine for attempting to instigate war on the Korean Peninsula," and warning, "If it continues to refuse to acknowledge facts and make a public apology, we will take further action."
Regarding this, the senior official said there are "multiple" additional measures the government could consider, though specific details were not disclosed.
However, the official indicated the need to manage bilateral relations as diplomatic consultations with Ukraine continue.
While making clear the South Korean government's position on Ukraine's breach of the confidentiality agreement, the official added that direct communication between the foreign ministers continues "in order to maintain good relations with Ukraine."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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