South Korea recalls its ambassador to Ukraine amid dispute over North Korean POWs

South Korea's Foreign Ministry has announced that it is recalling its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chang, amid a dispute between Kyiv and Seoul over the disclosure of information about the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war.

Source: Chosun, citing a statement by South Korea's Foreign Ministry on 8 October

Quote from the ministry: "The government has decided to recall the ambassador to Ukraine to the home country."

Details: Meanwhile, the ministry said it hopes all outstanding issues between the two countries would be resolved and that it would continue consultations with Ukraine.

According to Chosun, the South Korean embassy in Ukraine will continue operating after the ambassador returns. His recall is a form of diplomatic protest and does not mean the mission is being closed.

The decision was reportedly made six days after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung threatened additional measures if the Ukrainian authorities did not acknowledge a breach of the non-disclosure agreement and issue a public apology.

Background:

• Lee Jae-myung said Ukraine had breached a non-disclosure agreement by publicly revealing that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea.
• Dmytro Lytvyn, Zelenskyy's communications adviser, denied that Ukraine had breached an agreement with South Korea.
• However, South Korea's presidential office demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine over the disclosure.
• In late September, a mine explosion incident occurred in the demilitarised zone along the border with North Korea, injuring three South Korean soldiers. An early investigation indicated that the blast was most likely caused by North Korean mines. Seoul threatened Pyongyang with retaliatory measures should North Korea's involvement be confirmed.
• South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that his country had received an apology from Ukraine for publicly mentioning the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, adding that it had failed to meet Seoul's expectations.

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