Seoul, Kyiv should resolve spat

South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, returned home on Saturday following a call from President Lee Jae Myung. The ambassador was summoned due to Ukraine's disclosure that two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) who were captured in 2025 are now in South Korea. Recalling an ambassador is considered a strong diplomatic measure, with the most severe being the expulsion of the ambassador or severing diplomatic ties altogether.

The last time South Korea took such a step was in 2008, when it recalled its ambassador to Japan over the disputed Dokdo islet.

The strained relations between South Korea and Ukraine have been characterized by cooperation, particularly during Ukraine's four years of war following Russia's invasion. However, the sudden and unilateral disclosure by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations of the North Korean POWs' transfer to South Korea has caught Seoul off guard.

In the following weeks, Ukraine continued to deny the claim. Seoul's frustrations are evident in the recall of its ambassador to Ukraine, signaling the severity of the diplomatic spat.