Seoul, Kyiv should resolve 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 (POW) who were captured in 2025 are now in South Korea. Recalling an ambassador is one of the strongest diplomatic actions a country can take, the others being the much more drastic steps of expelling the ambassador of…
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, are facing a diplomatic dispute that may strain their relationship. South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, returned home after being summoned by President Lee Jae Myung. The ambassador's recall is a strong diplomatic move, only surpassed by expelling the ambassador of the offending nation or severing ties altogether.
The last time South Korea took such action was in 2008, when they recalled their ambassador to Japan over the Dokdo islet dispute.
The current tension between Seoul and Kyiv stems from Ukraine's unexpected disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) who were captured in 2025 and subsequently transferred to South Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed regret over the strain now placed on the two nations' once-cooperative relationship, particularly during Ukraine's four years of war following Russia's invasion.
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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- Seoul, Kyiv should resolve spat koreatimes.co.kr
