Seoul pulls embassy staff from Kyiv as North Korean POW dispute deepens

South Korea announced on Tuesday that it would be withdrawing some embassy staff from Ukraine, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The decision was made in response to Ukraine's unwillingness to address a diplomatic dispute that has been ongoing for weeks, as well as persistent threats of airstrikes across the war-torn country.

The move marks an escalation in the diplomatic tensions, following Seoul's decision last week to recall its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, over the public disclosure by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on September 23rd of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The ministry spokesperson informed during a regular briefing that they had communicated their government's position to Ukraine through various channels, but concluded that Ukraine had not taken constructive steps.

The decision was made after carefully considering the circumstances, including the continuing risk of airstrikes throughout Ukraine. The spokesperson did not provide specific details on how many staff members would be leaving or when the withdrawal would take place. The spokesperson stated that necessary diplomatic communication would continue through the chargé d'affaires.