Resetting relations: Ukrainian foreign minister will meet South Korean counterpart in Paris
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha will hold an in-person meeting with his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun in Paris to normalise relations and resume bilateral dialogue.
Source: an Ukrainska Pravda source in diplomatic circles
Details: The foreign ministers will hold talks on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers' summit, which is currently taking place in the French capital.
The meeting aims to overcome diplomatic tensions between the two countries and agree on further steps in bilateral cooperation.
During his working visit to Paris, Sybiha will also hold talks with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and the foreign ministers of other partner countries.
Background:
- On 23 September, during his address to the UN General Assembly, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine had handed over two North Korean soldiers to South Korea. The soldiers had fought for Russia and were captured in Kursk Oblast in 2025.
- On 24 September, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung accused Zelenskyy of disclosing sensitive information and said that agreements had been violated. The Office of the President of Ukraine responded that the two sides had not signed any non-disclosure agreements, noting that the president had revealed only the fact of the handover, without providing operational details.
- On 8 October, South Korea's Foreign Ministry announced that it was recalling its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chang, amid the dispute between Kyiv and Seoul over the disclosure of information about the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war.
- On 27 October, Cho Hyun announced the withdrawal of eight embassy staff members from Ukraine because Kyiv had failed to resolve the dispute.
- Seoul subsequently summoned Ukraine's ambassador and threatened additional measures if Kyiv did not issue a public apology.
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