As major European countries have shown interest in the diplomatic friction between South Korea and Ukraine surrounding the public disclosure of North Korean prisoner-of-war repatriations, attention is focused on the background of this development.

A Foreign Ministry official met with reporters on the 15th and revealed, "Regarding the strained relations between South Korea and Ukraine, major European countries have expressed interest while conveying their willingness to play a role in shifting the current phase."

Without mentioning the names of the three countries reportedly involved, the official added, "They have also conveyed the message that they expect our support for Ukraine to continue."

It is reported that these European countries did not jointly deliver their opinions to the South Korean side, but rather exchanged views through individual high-level contacts.

In response, the government's stance is that it will "continue to maintain support for Ukraine as a responsible member of the international community," while "continuously consulting at the bilateral level regarding pending issues with Ukraine," the official stated. This implies that South Korea’s support for Ukraine and the conflict regarding POW repatriation will be handled separately.

It is unusual for diplomatic communications conducted at a high level to be made public.

The official assessed this by saying, "It demonstrates that major Western countries place high importance on coordination and solidarity with South Korea, a key nation in the Asia-Pacific region, across various international issues." However, it is difficult to view this diplomatic communication as having been made public simply to highlight Europe's regard for South Korea.

Moreover, even while President Lee Jae-myung posted on social media targeting Ukraine—stating that Ukraine had "made the counterpart president a liar" and mentioning "additional measures if an apology is refused"—the government's consistent stance has been not to link the issue of publicizing POW repatriations with humanitarian aid and other forms of support.

The fact that European countries have newly raised the issue of "South Korea's continued support for Ukraine," which the government has continuously emphasized, has led to interpretations that they may be concerned about South Korea—having executed the ultra-hardline measure of recalling its ambassador—dropping out of the anti-Russia joint front assisting Ukraine.

While a Foreign Ministry official stated, "It is not at the level of expressing concern," observations are also raised that the Foreign Ministry has made public its diplomatic communication with European nations to pledge continued support for Ukraine and reaffirm its response.

At the same time, this can be read as indirectly conveying a message to Ukraine: that the conflict between the two countries is drawing international attention and the question of whether South Korea will continue its support is being discussed, so Ukraine should grasp this situation well and accept South Korea's demand for an "acknowledgment of facts and a public apology."

Regarding the "additional measures" mentioned by President Lee, the Foreign Ministry official stated, "The basic purpose of the additional measures is to promote a smooth resolution of various pending issues," adding, "For now, we are maintaining the position" that there is no impact on humanitarian aid and related matters.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]