Peaceful above the surface, as if nothing had happened, but with tensions constantly brewing underneath. Managing bilateral relations smoothly to prevent a catastrophe is the art of diplomacy. That artistry is lacking in South Korea-Ukraine relations, causing their ties to become strained. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an unexpected announcement about the status of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) during his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week. While criticizing North Korea’s dispatch of troops to Russia, Zelenskyy disclosed that the two North Korean soldiers had been sent to South Korea. “These guys are not easy to capture alive. One of them, when he realized that he was going to be taken prisoner, tried to kill himself. And he was shocked that fate did not let him die,” the Ukrainian leader said. His remarks came as a surprise. South Koreans knew that negotiations to bring the two men to South Korea were underway, as both had already expressed their willingness to defect to the South. But few knew that they had arrived in the