Ukrainian minister signals thaw in ties with South Korea
South Korea recalled its ambassador to Kyiv last month after Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed to the UN the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul, breaching a bilateral confidentiality agreement.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has expressed optimism about the revival of bilateral relations between Ukraine and South Korea following a recent dispute. Speaking at a ministerial meeting of G7 countries, Sybiha stated that he had a positive meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun, and was pleased that ties were being normalized.
Sybiha emphasized that Ukraine and South Korea should now focus on further steps to achieve complete normalization of relations. He expressed gratitude for past and future support from Seoul, as well as the country's backing for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The thaw in relations comes after a disagreement over the transfer of two North Korean soldiers from Ukraine to South Korea, which occurred last month. South Korea initially recalled its ambassador following President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's disclosure of the transfer, citing it as a breach of confidentiality arrangements. However, South Korea's foreign ministry has since stated that Cho expressed hope during talks that all pending issues would be resolved smoothly, and that Seoul would continue to consider ways to provide humanitarian aid for Ukraine and support its reconstruction.
Ukraine has received an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 troops from North Korea to assist Russia's war effort since 2024, with most deployed in the Kursk region to help repel a Ukrainian incursion.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
