In brief
South Korea has decided to pull its ambassador to Ukraine, escalating a long‑standing diplomatic dispute triggered by Ukraine’s transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers. Seoul claims the transfer breached a confidentiality agreement, while Kyiv says no such agreement existed. The incident has strained relations as Seoul seeks a formal apology, but Ukraine’s foreign ministry denies it was offered. The larger context involves South Korea’s cautious stance on arms aid and its complex ties with Russia and North Korea.
Published 47 minutes ago
South Korea has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine, the latest escalation in a diplomatic spat between the two countries.
The dispute began last month when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that his government had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.
Seoul says Ukraine breached an agreement to keep the transfer a secret, but Zelensky’s office maintains that no non‑disclosure agreement existed.
The two North Korean soldiers, who had been fighting for Russia, had previously told Ukrainian media they wanted to be sent to South Korea.
South Korean Vice‑Foreign Minister Park Yoon‑joo lodged a formal complaint with Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Vieshkin in September over the matter.
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he received an apology from Kyiv, but it was deemed insufficient; Ukraine’s spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi denied that an apology had been offered.
In a statement on Thursday, the South Korean foreign ministry said it would continue consultations with Ukraine and that outstanding issues would be resolved smoothly.
The spat has drawn criticism domestically; President Lee Jae‑Myung was called “disappointing” by opposition groups for not exposing the transfer, while his office defended its secrecy as protective of families and a bargaining tactic.
South Korea has remained a supporter of Ukraine while enforcing its policy of not supplying lethal weapons in an active conflict; the country did, however, announce a $100 million aid package to Ukraine in July.
Russia has warned it would retaliate if South Korea provided arms to Ukraine, and Seoul continues to navigate its relations with both Russia and North Korea.
