South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine following North Korean prisoner dispute

South Korea announced on Thursday the recall of its ambassador to Kyiv, Park Ki-chan, after a dispute over Ukraine's public disclosure regarding the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war.

The diplomatic rift originated from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech at the UN General Assembly in September. Zelenskyy disclosed that two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia had been transferred to Seoul. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung condemned the announcement as a breach of a confidentiality agreement, arguing that the public disclosure put the soldiers' families in North Korea at risk of punishment by the regime.

The two governments have issued conflicting accounts regarding a potential apology. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he received an apology that "fell short" of expectations, but BBC News noted that Ukrainian spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi later denied that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had apologized. Kyiv maintains that no non-disclosure agreement was ever in place, with presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn stating it would be wrong to conceal the fate of particular prisoners.

Further tensions have emerged following an investigative report by The Guardian alleging that South Korean ports shipped more than 176,000 tonnes of fuel oil to Russia in July and August. Ukrainian sanctions envoy Vladyslav Vlasjuk claimed these deliveries helped Russia offset fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian strikes on refineries. Despite the recall of the ambassador, Seoul's foreign ministry stated the embassy in Kyiv would remain open and expressed hope for an amicable resolution.

Domestically, President Lee has faced criticism from opposition leaders who accused him of trying to cover up the transfer to appease Pyongyang. The president's office defended the secrecy as a measure to protect the prisoners' relatives and claimed that Kyiv had also initially wanted the transfer kept quiet to avoid criticism for not using the North Koreans in a trade for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

Background

The two North Korean soldiers were among thousands reportedly supporting Russian forces in the conflict. Before their transfer to Seoul, they had informed local media of their desire to be sent to South Korea.