It is unclear if the dispute over two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) is sufficient to overturn South Korea’s Ukraine policy, but it has exposed conflicting interests between the two governments and raised questions about how they will handle sensitive cooperation in the future.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed during his U.N. General Assembly address that Kyiv had transferred the two soldiers to South Korea. ROK President Lee Jae Myung responded on social media, expressing “deep regret” and accusing Ukraine of violating an agreement to keep the transfer private.

Seoul has since demanded an official explanation and apology,