Acting Ambassador to Ukraine: "Shared Understanding to Keep North Korean POW Repatriation Private for as Long as Possible"

▲ Yoon Ji-wan, Acting Ambassador to Ukraine

The governments of South Korea and Ukraine shared an understanding that the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) should be kept private from the outside for as long as possible during their consultations, the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine said on October 18 (local time).

Yoon Ji-wan, acting ambassador and minister-counsellor at the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine, made the remark during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee held at the South Korean Embassy in Poland, stating, "We never discussed when to make it public, and there were many opinions that it would be best to keep it private for as long as possible."

Acting Ambassador Yoon conveyed that the embassy was not aware in advance that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would publicly announce the repatriation of North Korean POWs to South Korea during his speech at the UN General Assembly on September 23, and that the Ukrainian side has yet to provide a specific explanation for why it went public.

After the fact of the POW repatriation became public and the Ukrainian side denied the existence of a confidentiality agreement itself, the South Korean government demanded an apology and recalled Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang on October 8.

Prior to this, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Hyun stated on October 6, "We received a message that contained words of apology. However, it falls somewhat short of what we expect, so we intend to take firm measures."

Acting Ambassador Yoon also said, "We demanded an apology, and we determine that a clear apology up to the appropriate level has not been made."

He added, "Ukraine is taking the expressions of intent by our government and president very seriously. We continue to convey our positions in accordance with guidelines, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also making efforts to derive a positive solution through internal consultation procedures."

Regarding President Zelenskyy's public announcement of the POW repatriation, he remarked, "It seems that even the Ukrainian side in working-level contact did not know about it precisely," suggesting that the content of the UN speech was not properly shared in advance even within Ukrainian diplomatic circles.

Acting Ambassador Yoon stated, "There are many critical voices in Ukraine as well over the lack of internal consultations and the impulsive breaking of the confidentiality agreement."

He continued, "There are no further rebuttals from the Ukrainian side. I understand it as a situation where they cannot deny the fact that a confidentiality agreement existed."

Assessing the Ukrainian authorities' response, Acting Ambassador Yoon evaluated, "It seems to take a considerable amount of time to adjust and react to the president's remarks."

Dmytro Lytvyn, an advisor to President Zelenskyy, denied the confidentiality agreement itself three days after the repatriation was made public, stating, "There was no such agreement. It is not true."

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha effectively rejected the South Korean government's demand for an apology on October 12, stating, "I consider the matter closed."

Asked about criticisms that the diplomatic conflict arose because the confidentiality agreement was not firmly pinned down in writing or otherwise, Acting Ambassador Yoon replied, "Documenting a diplomatic agreement is practically a treaty," adding that it is difficult to disclose concrete evidence of the agreement.

Regarding the diplomatic friction between the two countries, he said, "Both sides consider the POW repatriation to be an immensely significant achievement," and added, "There is a shared understanding that bilateral relations must be built stably and on trust, and that this issue must be resolved wisely."

Yoon, minister-counsellor and deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Ukraine, attended the parliamentary audit—which targeted the embassies in Poland, Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus—via video link in his capacity as acting ambassador.

Ambassador to Russia Lee Seok-bae also underwent the audit via video link as Moscow Airport was closed due to a drone attack by the Ukrainian military.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

※