00:00It seems that the conflict between Korea and Ukraine is intensifying.
00:03In addition, Korea is increasing pressure on Ukraine by demanding a public apology.
00:07Let's take a closer look at this issue today. Let's get right into it.
00:09Currently, President Lee Jae-myung has issued a strong warning to Ukraine.
00:12Regarding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war,
00:14President Lee Jae-myung stated that the Ukrainian side requested confidentiality
00:17and both sides agreed to keep it private, but Ukraine unilaterally made it public.
00:20It may sound a bit odd, but President Zelensky stated in his speech at the UN General Assembly
00:24that the Ukrainian military sent two captured North Korean soldiers to Korea.
00:27However, the South Korean government has maintained a policy of not disclosing specific details
00:31such as the process, timing, and route of the prisoner repatriation.
00:34President Lee Jae-myung is strongly pressuring Ukraine,
00:36saying that the Ukrainian side broke the confidentiality agreement and made it public.
00:39But as the explanations from both countries differ, the conflict is growing even more.
00:43The Ukrainian side has stated that there was no separate confidential agreement with Korea,
00:46directly refuting the South Korean government's position.
00:48The Blue House labeled Ukraine's claim that there was no confidential agreement as a false statement,
00:52demanding an official explanation and apology.
00:54The Ministry of Foreign Affairs even summoned the acting Ukrainian ambassador to Korea,
00:58showing how much the conflict has intensified.
01:00Especially, President Lee Jae-myung, the President of Korea,
01:02tried to be as polite as possible and expressed his regret,
01:05but they said there was no agreement, making the head of state of the other country look like a liar.
01:08When asked to acknowledge the agreement and apologize, they instead.
01:11On the contrary, they talked about the possibility of imminent military clashes between North and South Korea
01:14and expressed grave regret over Ukraine's apparent wish for war to break out on the Korean peninsula.
01:19In fact, saying something like this in diplomatic language is very unusual.
01:21President Lee Jae-myung went on to say that if they continue to refuse to acknowledge the facts
01:25and issue a public apology, additional measures will be taken,
01:28emphasizing that this is a matter of the dignity of the Korean people and the nation and cannot be overlooked.
01:32And according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
01:33direct communication between Korea and Ukraine is already ongoing,
01:36and they are working to adjust the content and tone of the statements, including an apology from Ukraine.
01:39A high-ranking official met with reporters today and said that they discussed how to make an announcement,
01:44including an apology, but also mentioned that it is difficult to comment,
01:47because there has not yet been an agreement on the content or the tone.
01:50At the same time, it is clearly stated that there was a confidential agreement between the two countries,
01:53regarding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war.
01:56The Ukrainian foreign minister is also working to mend relations,
01:58describing the conflict with Korea as a diplomatic misunderstanding.
02:01Andrei Shibiha, the Ukrainian foreign minister,
02:04said that he sincerely hopes this situation will be resolved very soon,
02:07and that he is working toward that goal,
02:09adding that Korea is an important country to them.
02:12He also added that he strongly hopes the momentum, continuity, and concrete achievements
02:16being built together with Korea will continue.
02:18It seems that results will come out soon.
02:20In particular, Korea appears to be greatly angered by Ukraine mentioning the DMZ landmine explosion
02:24and saying that an uncontrollable escalation was possible
02:26and it was only a matter of time before the fuse was lit.
02:29At the peace conference, they are reportedly even considering recalling
02:32our ambassador stationed in Ukraine as one of the additional measures.
02:35The National Intelligence Service has also analyzed why President Zelensky revealed
02:38at the UN General Assembly that North Korean prisoners of war were sent to South Korea.
02:42Government officials believe that Ukraine may have expected that,
02:45by revealing this fact, public opinion in South Korea would grow in favor of providing weapons
02:49or additional support to Ukraine.
02:51In fact, the National Intelligence Service explained that Ukraine did not demand anything
02:54from South Korea in exchange for the repatriation of prisoners,
02:56and that our government also did not promise any support to Ukraine.
02:59Therefore, it does not mean that they tried to receive support by making the repatriation
03:02of prisoners a condition.
03:03However, by making public to the international community the fact that the North Korean prisoner
03:07of war came to South Korea,
03:08it is possible that they expected to make the Korean people more aware of the situation of the war
03:12between Ukraine and Russia, and to increase the perceived need to support Ukraine.
03:16Especially for Ukraine, the fact that North Korean troops are supporting Russia
03:19is one of the important issues that the country has emphasized to the international community.
03:23If it is also revealed that North Korean prisoners of war were actually captured by Ukrainian forces,
03:26and that those prisoners were sent to South Korea,
03:28then Korean society can perceive the issue of military cooperation between Russia and North Korea
03:32even more directly.
03:33The National Intelligence Service believes that Ukraine may have expected this kind of shift in public opinion.
03:38However, this is just the analysis of the intelligence authorities.
03:40It has not been confirmed that President Zelenskyy directly stated such an intention,
03:43or that the Ukrainian government requested weapons support from South Korea.
03:45It's important to keep that distinction in mind.
03:47And there is a reason why this analysis is important.
03:49If the purpose of Ukraine revealing the repatriation of the prisoners
03:51was not to make a direct demand to the South Korean government,
03:54but rather to influence public opinion in Korean society,
03:56then this disclosure may have been a move that took both diplomatic considerations
03:59and domestic public opinion into account.
04:01It's also worth noting that this was revealed on the international stage
04:03of the United Nations General Assembly.
04:05Ukraine may have hoped not only to inform the international community
04:08about North Korean troops participating in Russia's war,
04:11but also to change the way Ukraine is viewed in South Korea.
04:14Now, the focus is on what actions our government will actually take if Ukraine refuses this.
04:19The specific details of the additional measures mentioned by the president have not been finalized yet.
04:23One of the options currently being considered by the government
04:25is to recall the South Korean ambassador to Ukraine.
04:28Recalling an ambassador to their home country is a diplomatic measure
04:31that strongly conveys a protest to the other country.
04:33If the ambassador is actually recalled,
04:35the diplomatic tension between the two countries could rise to a higher level than it is now.
04:39In addition, there is a possibility that the government may consider taking further protest measures
04:42against Ukrainian diplomats in Korea
04:43or adjusting the level of high-level talks and exchanges between the two countries.
04:46However, it cannot be said that the government has finalized these measures at this time.
04:49A high-ranking official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
04:51also did not disclose the specific details of any additional measures.
04:54The important point is that the Korean government has already lodged his diplomatic protest once.
04:57The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already summoned Ukraine's acting ambassador to South Korea
05:02and conveyed the government's position, and if Ukraine continues to ignore Korea's demands,
05:06the next level of measures could be taken.
05:08However, it's difficult to say at this stage whether the relationship between the two countries
05:11will be completely severed.
05:12Ukraine has also stated that its relationship with Korea is important
05:14and has expressed its intention to resolve the situation.
05:17Therefore, what's important going forward is how Ukraine will respond and what changes it will make.
05:21Even if a public apology at the level demanded by the Korean government is not made,
05:24there is still a possibility that the two countries could find a mutually acceptable solution
05:27through explanations or expressions of regret regarding the issue of the agreement to keep the matter confidential.
05:31On the other hand, if Ukraine maintains its current stance and continues to reject Korea's demands,
05:35a new issue could arise over how far the additional measures announced by our government will gulp.
05:39However, as we watch this conflict unfold, there is another country we need to pay attention to, Russia.
05:43The growing diplomatic clash between Korea and Ukraine
05:46could become an opportunity for Russia to take advantage of the situation.
05:49What's especially important is that the issue of North Korean troops being dispatched to Russia
05:52is at the center of this incident.
05:54Ukraine has continuously emphasized to the international community
05:56that North Korean forces are supporting Russia and Korea also sees the military cooperation
06:00between North Korea and Russia as a significant security issue.
06:03However, the reality is that Korea and Ukraine are now openly clashing over this issue.
06:06For Russia, this situation can be actively highlighted as evidence that the relationship
06:09between Korea and Ukraine is becoming unstable.
06:12In fact, Russian media are giving significant coverage to the controversy over the repatriation
06:15of North Korean prisoners of war and the conflict between Korea and Ukraine.
06:19They are emphasizing that Korea is strongly protesting Ukraine's actions and reports could emerge
06:23suggesting that Ukraine is actually losing trust in its relationship with Korea.
06:26In particular, what Russia may focus on is the issue of Korea's support for Ukraine.
06:30If the conflict between Korea and Ukraine continues, there is a possibility that a new debate will
06:34arise domestically over how Korea should support Ukraine.
06:37For Russia, the very fact that negative public opinion about Ukraine is rising in Korean society
06:41could lead to a more favorable environment for Russia.
06:44Of course, we can't say that Korea's policy toward Ukraine will change just because of this one incident.
06:48However, there could certainly be attempts by Russia to highlight the conflict between Korea and Ukraine,
06:52and shape public opinion in a way that is favorable to them.
06:55Another issue is the relationship between North Korea and Russia.
06:57As Russia deals with this incident, there is also a possibility that they will link the dispatch
07:01of North Korean troops to Russia with the conflict between Korea and Ukraine.
07:04This is because Russia could emphasize its own position by raising issues with South Korea's
07:07relationship with Ukraine targeting South Korea, which views military cooperation with North Korea
07:11negatively.
07:12Especially if Russia sends a message to South Korea that it should make careful decisions regarding
07:16its relationship with Ukraine, this incident could expand beyond a diplomatic conflict
07:19between the two countries and become a diplomatic issue involving Russia as well.
07:23And as the conflict between the two countries intensifies, diplomatic clashes between the
07:27governments are now spreading to public statements by each country's media and individuals.
07:31In fact, Vodankroydpik, a retired Lieutenant Colonel who served as Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian
07:35Azov Brigade, publicly criticized President Lee J. Monk.
07:37He argued that it is not appropriate for President Lee to demand an apology from President Zelensky.
07:42Of course, it is important to note that this statement is not the official position of the Ukrainian
07:45government, but rather a personal opinion. However, the fact that such statements are being made
07:50publicly shows that this conflict has spread beyond talks between the two governments.
07:54In Korea as well, critical public opinion toward Ukraine is growing, and in Ukraine there are also
07:59voices criticizing the Korean government. As public and media attention in both countries increases like
08:03this, the range of options available to each government during negotiations may become more limited.
08:07Even if diplomatic authorities coordinate their positions, if strong criticism continues both
08:11domestically and internationally, it may become even more difficult to come up with a compromise.
08:14In particular, since this issue is connected to the sensitive security matter of North Korean
08:18prisoners of war, public sentiment in both countries may remain heated.
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