South Korea recalls ambassador from Ukraine amid dispute over North Korean POWs

Ambassador Park Ki-chang has been ordered to return home in what South Korean newspaper Chosun described as a diplomatic protest.

"The government hopes that all outstanding issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably and will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to that end," the ministry said.

The dispute began after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea during his address to the UN General Assembly in September.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung accused Ukraine of violating a confidentiality agreement, arguing that the transfer was an extremely sensitive matter involving diplomacy and national security.

Kyiv denied that such an agreement existed. Presidential communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said Ukraine had made no commitment to keep the transfer secret.

Seoul subsequently demanded an apology and claimed that Kyiv had repeatedly requested confidentiality over concerns about domestic criticism of the decision to transfer the prisoners rather than use them in exchanges for Ukrainian captives.

The disagreement deepened after South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Ukraine had apologized for disclosing the transfer.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi disputed that characterization on Oct. 7, explaining that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had expressed regret that the situation had escalated into an exchange of critical public statements.

Tykhyi said Ukraine regarded the transfer as a gesture of goodwill toward South Korea and attributed the dispute to differing interpretations of confidentiality arrangements.

Despite the ambassador's recall, Seoul said it would continue diplomatic consultations with Kyiv to resolve the disagreement.