Rights activists under police investigation over an unauthorized visit to Ukraine in May say the Ministry of Foreign Affairs asked them to secure a recommendation from the unification minister as part of their application for exceptional passport-use approval — a requirement the ministry says it never imposed. Earlier this month, police notified the activists that they were being investigated on suspicion of violating the Passport Act following a complaint by the ministry. Ukraine was designated a travel-ban country for South Korean citizens in February 2022, and entering the country without exceptional passport-use approval is subject to criminal penalties. The activists say they had sought permission well in advance of their visit to meet Ukrainian officials over two North Korean prisoners of war. They say they submitted all documents requested by the foreign ministry but were unable to obtain that recommendation letter before their scheduled May 7-11 visit. One of the six activists, Kang Dong-wan, a professor at Dong-A University, described the alleged request as “unprecedented