Seoul to maintain Ukraine aid despite spat over North Korea prisoner transfer

The South Korean government has pledged to maintain its support for Ukraine despite a diplomatic disagreement over the disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war being returned to the South, according to a foreign ministry official on Thursday. The official clarified that Seoul intends to differentiate its aid to Ukraine from the ongoing dispute, while simultaneously engaging in bilateral discussions to resolve the outstanding issues.

This decision came in the wake of the recall of South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, to Seoul on Saturday, following an incident that arose from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement of the repatriation during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 23. The ambassador's return is one of several actions Seoul contemplated upon receiving the disclosure, which it contends violated a confidentiality agreement aimed at safeguarding the welfare of the soldiers and their families in North Korea.

President Lee Jae Myung has urged Ukraine to acknowledge the agreement and issue a public apology, threatening further actions if Kyiv fails to comply. Meanwhile, Kyiv has rejected the existence of any such understanding.