South Korea recalls Ukraine ambassador amid POW dispute
South Korea has said it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine. Seoul is upset about a transfer of North Korean prisoners of war being made public knowledge at the UN and had demanded — but not received — an apology.
South Korea has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine in response to a dispute over the disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) transferred to South Korea. This decision follows more than two weeks of diplomatic tension between the two nations, sparked by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's public announcement of the transfer during a U.N.
General Assembly speech on September 23. The North Korean soldiers were captured while serving with Russia in Ukraine in 2025. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed disappointment, alleging that Ukraine had violated an agreement to maintain the transfer's confidentiality. Ukraine denied the existence of such an agreement, leading to demands for an explanation from South Korea's Cheong Wa Dae.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated its hope for resolving all outstanding issues amicably and continued consultations with Ukraine.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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