South Korea is to recall additional staff from its embassy in Ukraine due to a dispute over the public disclosure of the handover to Seoul of two prisoners of war from North Korea, Reuters reported, citing the South Korean Foreign Ministry. The ministry stated that it had not received a constructive response from Kyiv, although this is the South Korean side’s assessment.
Briefly about the main points
- Seoul has announced the recall of additional embassy staff from Ukraine.
- They cited the lack of a constructive response from Kyiv in the dispute over prisoners of war as the reason.
- On 8 October, South Korea had already recalled its ambassador from Ukraine.
- Kyiv denied the existence of a confidentiality agreement regarding the transfer of prisoners of war.
What is known about Seoul’s new decision
The decision concerns additional staff at the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine. The statement does not specify the number of staff, the date of their departure or the diplomatic mission’s future operating arrangements.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry has linked this move to the progress of negotiations with the Ukrainian side. In Seoul, it is believed that Kyiv’s response in the issue of prisoners of war was not constructive.
The diplomatic response has been ongoing since the end of September
On 8 October, South Korea recalled its ambassador from Ukraine — 12 days before the announcement regarding additional staff. In late September, Seoul had demanded an explanation and an apology from Kyiv over the disclosure of information concerning the handover of prisoners of war.
6 October: South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that he had received a letter of apology from Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiga. According to Cho Hyun, it did not meet Seoul’s expectations.
The subject of the dispute concerning North Korean prisoners of war
The dispute concerns the handover to South Korea of two prisoners of war from North Korea who had fought on Russia’s side. The handover took place in mid-September and was publicly announced on 23 September.
Seoul claimed that Kyiv had breached a non-disclosure agreement, and cited the safety of prisoners and their families in North Korea as the reason for maintaining confidentiality. The Ukrainian side denied the existence of such an agreement, so the dispute between the two countries remains unresolved.
