South Korea-Ukraine relations begin to thaw after Paris meeting
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha thanked South Korea for its support for Ukrainian sovereignty, before saying "I am convinced that further steps lie ahead of us towards the full normalization of bilateral relations."
Ukraine and South Korea have taken steps to mend their strained relationship, following a diplomatic dispute that erupted in September. The tension arose over the UN General Assembly when President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that South Korea was receiving North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine, a claim South Korea deemed a breach of confidentiality. As a result, Seoul downgraded and eventually withdrew its diplomatic contacts with Kyiv.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed on November 10 that relations between the two nations were beginning to improve. He expressed his gratitude for South Korea's support in maintaining Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Speaking at a G7 foreign ministers meeting in Paris, Sybiha stated that he and his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun were optimistic about the future of bilateral relations, emphasizing that further steps were needed to achieve full normalization.
However, Sybiha acknowledged that there is still work to be done in rebuilding diplomatic ties. He attributed the rift primarily to domestic politics in South Korea.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
