[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung has strongly criticized Ukraine for publicly disclosing the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, saying it made the counterpart head of state out to be a liar. Warning of further measures if Ukraine does not apologize, South Korea is reportedly considering recalling its ambassador to Ukraine.

Park Yerim reports.

[Reporter]

This is a social media post that President Lee Jae-myung shared on the morning of October 2, along with a news article reporting that Ukraine's foreign minister called the process of disclosing the repatriation of North Korean soldiers to South Korea a "diplomatic misunderstanding."

President Lee launched a direct criticism, stating, "The Ukrainian side requested confidentiality regarding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war and we reached an agreement, yet they made it public unilaterally." He added, "When the President of the Republic of Korea expressed regret with utmost courtesy, they claimed no such agreement existed, making the counterpart head of state out to be a liar."

He went on to point out, "When we demanded that they acknowledge the agreement and apologize, they instead brought up talk of an imminent military clash between the two Koreas."

On September 27, the chief of staff of the Ukrainian Presidential Office claimed in an interview with foreign media that the reason for North Korea's participation in the war in Ukraine was "to prepare for combat in its own region." Seemingly mindful of these remarks, President Lee also stated, "I express deep regret toward Ukraine, which seeks the outbreak of war on the Korean Peninsula."

President Lee emphasized, "If they continue to refuse to acknowledge the confidentiality agreement and make a public apology, we will take additional measures," adding, "This is a matter of national and public dignity that cannot be overlooked."

Following Cheong Wa Dae's official statement on September 27, President Lee once again expressed strong regret on social media on October 2, and the South Korean government is expected to decide on further actions, including the domestic recall of its ambassador to Ukraine, depending on Ukraine's response.

The People Power Party criticized the stance as "selective anger," questioning, "Is this a more critical issue than North Korea, which planted landmines and blew off the ankles of our soldiers?"

(Camera: Jeong Sang-bo, Lim Woo-sik, Ha Ryung | Video Editing: Oh Young-taek | Graphic Design: Kang Yoon-jeong)