What is happening between South Korea and Ukraine?

South Korea has decided to recall its ambassador from Ukraine.

TodayPress TV reports that the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision.

According to the ministry, the issue concerns two North Korean soldiers who were captured by Ukrainian forces during fighting in Russia’s Kursk region in January 2025.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that the prisoners of war had been handed over to South Korea during his address to the UN General Assembly on September 23. Following the announcement, Seoul accused Kyiv of violating an agreement not to publicly disclose information about the transfer.

South Korean authorities said maintaining confidentiality was essential for the safety of the soldiers and their relatives living in North Korea. According to South Korean intelligence, it was Ukraine that initially proposed keeping information about the transfer of the prisoners of war confidential.

However, Kyiv denies that any agreement existed to keep the information undisclosed. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha previously described the situation as a diplomatic misunderstanding and said Kyiv hoped the issue would be resolved soon.

Seoul requested an official explanation and an apology from Ukraine. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he had received a message from his Ukrainian counterpart expressing an apology, but South Korea was not satisfied with this.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it expected the differences to be resolved and would continue consultations with Kyiv. At the same time, no exact date has been announced for Ambassador Park Ki-chan’s return to Seoul.

Aysel Matlab