S. Korea stresses 'clear understanding' with Ukraine over non-disclosure of NK POW transfer
The foreign ministry said Tuesday that South Korea and Ukraine had reached a "clear understanding" in keeping the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul confidential, pushing back against Kyiv's denial of such an agreement. South Korea has demanded an official apology and explanation from Ukraine, accusing it of breaching a non-disclosure agreement over the transfer of the…
On Tuesday, South Korea's foreign ministry stated that Seoul and Kyiv had reached a "clear understanding" to keep confidential the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul. This assertion came in response to Ukraine's denial of such an agreement, with South Korea accusing Kyiv of breaching a non-disclosure pact regarding the transfer and later retracting the claim.
Park Doo-soon, a spokesperson for the South Korean foreign ministry, confirmed that consultations at multiple levels had led to the understanding that the matter must remain confidential due to its implications for the safety of the soldiers and their families. The ministry emphasized that the transfer was conducted in accordance with the prisoners' free will, international law, and humanitarian principles.
However, a report from the Financial Times on Monday suggested that there was no official agreement at the presidential level to keep the transfer private. According to the report, the issue was reportedly discussed at a lower level, but the details of the negotiations remain unclear.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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