South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine on Thursday after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed information about Seoul receiving two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting alongside the Russian army. Zelenskyy had announced last month before the United Nations General Assembly that Ukraine had handed the two soldiers to South Korea after capturing them.
Seoul angered and concerns over prisoners of war
The disclosure angered Seoul, which considered the Ukrainian president to have breached an agreement guaranteeing that the matter would remain confidential. South Korea’s objections were particularly linked to concerns that revealing information about the two soldiers could put the families of prisoners of war at risk.
Following Zelenskyy’s statements, Seoul summoned the Ukrainian ambassador and hinted at taking “additional measures” without specifying their nature at the time. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung also called on Ukraine to issue a formal apology before his government decided to recall its ambassador from Kyiv, a move that reflected the escalating diplomatic dispute between the two countries over how the matter had been handled and publicly disclosed.
Seoul’s decision came as The Guardian published a report this week stating that 176,000 tonnes of products, most of them diesel, had been shipped from South Korea to Russia during July and August. Kyiv criticised the shipments.
In Ukraine’s first response to the recall of the South Korean ambassador, a Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told reporters on Thursday: “We are convinced that diplomacy must prevail over emotion,” expressing hope for “constructive dialogue” with Seoul.
