Seoul, Kyiv must resolve diplomatic spat
South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang returned home Saturday, called in by President Lee Jae Myung over Ukraine's disclosure that two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) who were captured alive in 2025 were now in South Korea. A country recalling an ambassador is one of the strongest diplomatic actions it can take, the others being the much more drastic steps of expelling the…
Seoul's ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, returned home on Saturday following an order from President Lee Jae Myung regarding Ukraine's disclosure of North Korean POWs residing in South Korea. This diplomatic action, one of the strongest available to a nation, signifies a significant strain in relations between the two countries.
The last time South Korea employed such a move was in 2008, when they recalled their ambassador to Japan over the Dokdo islet dispute. Seoul's frustrations arise from the sudden and unilateral disclosure by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations about the transfer of the North Korean POWs to South Korea. This unexpected revelation left Seoul unprepared.
In the following weeks, Ukraine maintained their denial of the situation. The ties between South Korea and Ukraine, which have largely been characterized by cooperation, particularly during Ukraine's four-year conflict following Russia's invasion, are now under considerable pressure.
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- Seoul, Kyiv should resolve spat koreatimes.co.kr
