Han Dong-hoon: Lee only growls at Ukraine, which is fighting North Korean troops

President Lee renews demand for serious apology from Ukraine; Han says Ukraine is at war with North Korean and Russian regular forces; Foreign Ministry says issue is one of South Korea's credibility

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon on Friday criticized President Lee Jae Myung for expressing strong displeasure at Ukraine over its mention of a possible inter-Korean armed conflict and for again demanding an apology in connection with the North Korean prisoner-of-war repatriation dispute.

In a Facebook post, Han said Lee "cannot say a word to North Korea but only growls at Ukraine, which is fighting North Korean troops," adding, "Is Lee Jae Myung's main enemy not North Korea but Ukraine?"

Han also reminded his followers that "Ukraine is a country currently at war with the regular armed forces of North Korea and Russia."

The remarks were aimed at what Han described as Lee's pattern of leaving North Korea unnamed — referring to a demilitarized zone landmine explosion only as an "unexpected accident" in his Armed Forces Day address on Thursday — while pressing Ukraine, with which Seoul is locked in a diplomatic dispute over the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war.

Earlier on Thursday, Lee posted on X, formerly Twitter, saying Ukraine had agreed to keep the repatriation of North Korean prisoners confidential but then disclosed it unilaterally. "When the president of the Republic of Korea, with the utmost courtesy, said he was 'disappointed,' they denied any such agreement had been made and turned the head of state of another country into a liar," Lee wrote.

He then said he was expressing "serious displeasure" toward Ukraine for "invoking talk of an imminent inter-Korean military clash and scheming to ignite a war on the Korean Peninsula" after he had asked it to acknowledge the agreement and apologize.

Lee also warned that "if it continues to refuse to acknowledge the facts and issue a public apology, further measures will follow," adding that the matter concerned the dignity of the South Korean people and the nation and "cannot be overlooked."

It is highly unusual for a president to express "serious displeasure" toward another country over a specific issue, demand a "public apology" and warn of "further measures."

Lee's message appeared directed at Kyrylo Budanov, chief of staff of the Ukrainian presidential office, who recently suggested on social media that an inter-Korean armed conflict was possible.

Budanov made the remarks in reference to North Korean troops fighting alongside Russia, saying, "North Korea is arming itself by learning from our war — in order to prepare for active combat in its own territory."

The implication was that North Korean troops deployed to the war in Ukraine are using their combat experience to prepare for a potential conflict with the South.

The Foreign Ministry said Lee's message was intended to make clear that the North Korean prisoner repatriation issue "is not a matter of diplomatic misunderstanding but one of inter-state agreements, trust and South Korea's national credibility."

The ministry added that the government had summoned the Ukrainian chargé d'affaires in Seoul and through diplomatic channels "repeatedly demanded a clear explanation of the facts, an apology and measures to prevent a recurrence, but is still awaiting a response in kind." It said the president had "again strongly urged Ukraine to acknowledge the facts and apologize."

The ministry also said the government's position is that "clear action on this matter is necessary to restore trust between the two countries," and that it "will monitor Ukraine's future official stance and take necessary steps accordingly."

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Thursday (local time) that he did not want to call the situation an "incident." "Let's call it a diplomatic misunderstanding," he said. "I sincerely hope it gets resolved."

shindw@heraldcorp.com