South Korea to recall ambassador to Ukraine over North Korean prisoner transfer dispute

Seoul, South Korea. South Korea will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, the foreign minister said on Thursday, following a dispute over President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s announcement that two North Korean prisoners of war were being transferred to Seoul.

Dispute over confidentiality

Seoul accused Kyiv of breaching a confidentiality agreement concerning the transfer of the captured soldiers.

South Korea’s foreign ministry said it hoped the current issues between the two countries could be resolved and that it would continue negotiations with Kyiv. It did not elaborate.

Ukraine says dialogue remains open

In Kyiv, a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Ukraine remained open to renewing constructive dialogue with South Korea despite the decision to recall the ambassador.

The spokesperson said the South Korean envoy had been invited to the ministry this week to hear Ukraine’s position on the matter.

“We believe that diplomacy should prevail over emotions,” the spokesperson said. “Despite Seoul’s decision to recall its ambassador, Ukraine remains open to resuming constructive dialogue, even if it will take some time.”

Earlier exchanges

Last week, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said his country would take additional measures if Ukraine continued to deny the existence of an agreement related to the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war. He urged Kyiv to acknowledge the agreement and apologise, and expressed grave regret over Ukraine’s response.

Also last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv was undertaking diplomatic efforts to put the “misunderstanding” behind the two countries. A ministry spokesperson told reporters that the dispute stemmed from a “difference in interpreting the agreements on confidentiality”.