On October 8, South Korea decided to recall its ambassador from Ukraine amid a diplomatic dispute over the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. The decision was announced by South Korea’s Foreign Ministry.
This was reported by Yonhap.
Seoul demanded an official explanation and an apology after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
The South Korean side also raised objections over a statement by the Office of the President of Ukraine denying that the two countries had agreed to keep the information confidential.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Tuesday that he had received a message from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha containing an apology, but said it fell short of Seoul’s expectations.
Cho then said the government intended to take “firm measures.”
“The government has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine to Seoul,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also said it hoped issues between the two countries would be resolved smoothly and that consultations with the Ukrainian side would continue.
Dispute over the transfer of North Korean POWs
On January 11, 2025, Ukrainian Defense Forces captured two North Korean soldiers in Russia’s Kursk region. South Korea later said it was ready to accept them because Seoul legally considers North Korean residents to be its citizens.
In July 2026, the presidents of Ukraine and South Korea reached an agreement on the future of the prisoners.
On September 23, Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Seoul later criticized the disclosure of that information.
The Office of the President of Ukraine denied that there had been an agreement not to disclose the transfer, while the South Korean side insisted that such an agreement had existed.
On September 29, South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador, and on October 6 Seoul said that the apology it had received from Ukraine fell short of expectations.
