South Korea has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine amid a diplomatic dispute over Kyiv’s public disclosure of the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry announced the decision on Thursday, saying it would continue consultations with Ukraine while seeking a resolution to the outstanding issues between the two countries. The dispute began after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 23 that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea.
Seoul said the disclosure violated an agreement to keep the transfer confidential. Ukraine, however, disputed that claim, with Zelenskyy’s office saying there had been no such non-disclosure agreement. The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia in the war in Ukraine. They later expressed a desire to go to South Korea rather than return to North Korea, according to reports.
South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said earlier this week that he had received a message from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha that included an apology. However, Cho said the apology fell short of Seoul’s expectations and warned that his government would take firm measures.
The disagreement deepened after Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Kyiv did not view the matter as involving an apology in the way Seoul described it. Ukraine has characterised the dispute as a diplomatic misunderstanding.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has also criticised Kyiv’s handling of the disclosure, saying the confidentiality of the transfer was important for security and humanitarian reasons. Seoul had previously said keeping the transfer confidential was partly intended to protect the soldiers and their families. Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, have argued that the two governments interpreted the confidentiality arrangements differently.
The recall of the ambassador represents a significant escalation in the dispute, although South Korea has stopped short of breaking diplomatic relations with Ukraine. The South Korean Foreign Ministry said it hoped the issues between the two countries would be resolved smoothly and that consultations with Kyiv would continue.
