North Korean POWs

Diplomatic tensions have emerged between South Korea and Ukraine over the handling of North Korean prisoners of war captured while fighting alongside Russian forces. The dispute centres on the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers, an issue with sensitive implications for Seoul, which has expressed concern over the fate and treatment of its rival's citizens. The rift risks complicating cooperation between Kyiv and Seoul at a time when both face pressure from Russia and North Korea's deepening alliance.

South Korea has formally demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war, according to Reuters. The disclosure reportedly angered Seoul, which has been sensitive about how captives from North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia are handled, and the episode has strained relations between the two governments at a delicate moment in the war.

South Korea has formally demanded an apology from Ukraine after Kyiv disclosed information about North Korean prisoners of war captured while fighting alongside Russian forces. The disclosure reportedly angered Seoul, which had sought to handle the matter sensitively given its own stance on North Korean troops in the war. Details of what exactly was revealed remain limited, and Ukraine has not publicly responded to the demand.