"Is This Something to Be Furious About?": Rep. Na Kyung-won Sends "Letter of Gratitude" to Ukraine

Representative Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party announced that she has sent a letter of gratitude to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Releasing the letter on social media, Rep. Na stated to President Zelenskyy, "I welcome and express deep gratitude for Your Excellency President Zelenskyy's magnanimous decision to respect the free will of North Korean prisoners of war Mr. Ri and Mr. Baek and allow them to come to South Korea."

She added, "We fully understand that Your Excellency President Zelenskyy's handling of the North Korean POW issue based on universal human rights, international law, and humanitarian principles was by no means an easy decision as a head of state and commander-in-chief elected by the Ukrainian people."

Rep. Na's office reportedly sent the letter to the Ukrainian government online and is also considering delivering a physical copy through diplomatic channels.

Regarding the reason for sending the thank-you letter, Na argued, "Is the disclosure that Ukraine sent North Korean POWs to South Korea really something for President Lee Jae-myung and the government to be so furious about, to the point of taking the extreme measure of recalling the ambassador?" She continued, "Even if there are differences of opinion and regrettable aspects regarding the procedural disclosure, it is essentially a humanitarian and security achievement for which both countries should put their heads together and thank each other."

She went on to criticize, "The Lee Jae-myung administration cannot say a single word to North Korea, which harmed our soldiers with landmines along the Military Demarcation Line, or to the aggressor Russia, yet repays Ukraine's favor of repatriating North Korean POWs with hostility—it has gone completely backwards."

Earlier, the South Korean government decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine in response to Ukraine making the repatriation of North Korean POWs public without prior consultation and offering no apology.

In response, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "Diplomacy must prevail over emotions," adding that it had "invited the South Korean ambassador to Ukraine to the ministry and conveyed the Ukrainian side's position."

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Kim Bok-hyeong | Design by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.