South Korea has demanded a full explanation and apology from Ukraine, accusing it of disclosing the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to the country without its consent.

The diplomatic spat comes after Ukrainian President Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly last week that his country had transferred two North Korean soldiers to South Korea after they were caught fighting for Russia. Seoul also accused Kyiv of falsely denying that the two countries had agreed to keep the transfers of North Koreans caught fighting for Russia secret.

Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations, said in a statement on Sunday that the government was reviewing additional measures over the issue if necessary. He said Ukraine had repeatedly discussed the prisoners’ transfer with Seoul through various channels and had requested secrecy, arguing that public disclosure could trigger domestic criticism that Kyiv had given up an opportunity to exchange the soldiers for Ukrainian prisoners. He said South Korea agreed to keep the transfer confidential given security, diplomatic and humanitarian concerns, including the safety of the prisoners and their families.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung days earlier said Ukraine had disclosed the transfer in breach of a non-disclosure agreement, and the issue had seriously damaged trust between Seoul and Kyiv.

Ukraine’s embassy in Seoul did not respond to any media request for comment.

Donald Trump offered to sell weapons to China while hosting its leader, Xi Jinping, the US ambassador to China said on Sunday.

The extraordinary claim came during an interview about US policy on Taiwan, which has been waiting for months for Trump to approve a new arms sales package worth $14 billion, following a record multi-billion dollar deal unveiled late last year.

Trump’s level of commitment to protecting Taiwan has repeatedly been questioned. At a meeting with Xi in Beijing, Trump described the $14 billion Taiwan arms sales package as a “very good negotiating chip” in deal-making with China.

Beijing has consistently stated that it “resolutely opposes” Washington selling arms to Taiwan, which it regards as a breakaway province and has not renounced using force to claim. During their meeting in Washington, Xi urged Trump to oppose “Taiwan independence,” according to a readout from the official Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Taiwanese Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi highlighted the severe military threat posed by Beijing. “Taiwan faces a severe situation in the Taiwan Strait. Even though China’s economy is slowing, it continues investing heavily in building its military capacity. Under this context, the US very much understands our defense needs,” he told reporters in Taipei.

A Hong Kong appellate court will rule within six months on a bid by former Stand News editor Patrick Lam to overturn his sedition conviction, following intense debate over whether an article published by the now-defunct media outlet stoked hatred against the authorities.

Lam was found guilty alongside his predecessor Chung Pui-kuen in August 2024 – a case widely seen as a blow to press freedom in Hong Kong. The case revolved around 17 articles published by Stand News in 2020 and 2021 that authorities deemed seditious. Trial judge Kwok Wai-kin ruled that 11 of those articles were proven to be offensive as they stoked hatred against the government in the wake of the 2019 protests and unrest.

David Ma, representing Lam, told three Court of Appeal judges on Tuesday that only one of the 11 problematic articles was published under Lam’s watch as acting editor-in-chief. Ma argued that the article – a feature report marking the second anniversary of clashes between police and students on the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) campus in November 2019 – was wrongly ruled as seditious by the trial judge.

He said the article featured interviews with two former CUHK students who were granted anonymity and recalled their “subjective feelings” during the November 2019 clashes. One interviewee was quoted as saying they felt “despair” after overhearing a police officer comment: “Let it burn down.” However, the trial judge relied on “hindsight” when ruling the article problematic.

Separate from the 2020 Beijing-enacted security law, the homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance targets treason, insurrection, sabotage, external interference, sedition, theft of state secrets and espionage. It allows for pre-charge detention of up to 16 days, and suspects’ access to lawyers may be restricted, with penalties involving up to life in prison. Article 23 was shelved in 2003 amid mass protests, remaining taboo for years. But, on March 23, 2024, it was enacted, having been fast-tracked and unanimously approved at the city’s opposition-free legislature.

Authorities cited perceived foreign interference and a constitutional duty to “close loopholes” after the 2019 protests and unrest. The law however has been criticised by rights NGOs, Western states and the UN as vague, broad and “regressive.”