South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine over prisoner row

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 8 Oct, 13:20 · Archive

South Korea is recalling its ambassador to Ukraine following a dispute over Kyiv's public disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war.

South Korea announced on Thursday that it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, marking an escalation in a diplomatic dispute between the two countries. The row centres on Kyiv's public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul.

The crisis began on 23 September, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed during a speech at the UN General Assembly that two North Korean soldiers captured fighting alongside Russian forces had been transferred to South Korea. Zelenskyy noted that the two soldiers had not been 'easy to capture alive'.

South Korea says Ukraine violated a confidentiality agreement by making the transfer public. Seoul argues the disclosure endangers the prisoners' families remaining in North Korea, where the regime is known to punish the relatives of defectors and those who fall into enemy hands. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called the revelation 'greatly disappointing' and described it as a 'highly sensitive issue' affecting national security. He demanded a public apology from Ukraine and threatened 'additional measures' if one was not forthcoming.

Ukraine has rejected South Korea's account. Zelenskyy's adviser Dmytro Lytvyn stated at the end of September that no confidentiality agreement existed. A statement from Zelenskyy's office maintained that 'there was no non-disclosure agreement in place'.

Disputes have also emerged over whether Ukraine apologised for the disclosure. South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said last week that he received an apology from his Ukrainian counterpart, but added it fell short of Seoul's expectations. However, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters this week that Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had not apologised, according to Ukrainian news site Liga.

South Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it would 'continue consultations with the Ukrainian side' and expected that 'various outstanding issues' would be 'resolved smoothly'. The ministry confirmed that the South Korean embassy in Kyiv would remain open.

How it is being reported

• South Korea to recall its ambassador to Ukraine over North Korean POW disputeThe South Korean announcement on Thursday came days after its President Lee Jae Myung threatened unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refuses to apologize over the revelation.NPR · 8 Oct, 13:13
• South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine in North Korean prisoner of war rowSeoul said Kyiv's public disclosure of the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners endangered their families in North Korea, where relatives of those who fall into enemy hands face punishment. Ukraine has rejected South Korea's accusations.Euronews · 8 Oct, 12:27
• South Korea recalls Ukraine ambassador amid POW disputeSouth Korea has said it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine. Seoul is upset about a transfer of North Korean prisoners of war being made public knowledge at the UN and had demanded — but not received — an apology.DW News · 8 Oct, 11:55
• South Korea recalls Ukraine envoy over prisoner-of-war rowIt is the latest in a diplomatic spat after Kyiv disclosed that two North Korean prisoners were transferred to Seoul.BBC World · 8 Oct, 10:56
• South Korea to recall ambassador from Ukraine amid deepening rowThe decision comes as the two countries have been at loggerheads since Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer of the prisoners.The Japan Times · 8 Oct, 10:04

In this story: South Korea · Ukraine · Volodymyr Zelenskyy · Lee Jae Myung · North Korea · Andrii Sybiha · Park Ki-chan · Russia

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem