South Korea is withdrawing additional personnel from its embassy in Ukraine following a dispute with Kyiv over the disclosure of information about North Korean prisoners of war.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry announced the decision on Tuesday, saying the move was aimed at resolving the disagreement and rebuilding trust between the two countries.
Seoul recalled its ambassador earlier this month after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed during a United Nations General Assembly session that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
South Korea said the disclosure breached an understanding with Ukraine to keep details of the transfer confidential to protect the prisoners and their families in North Korea.
The ministry said it had communicated its concerns to Kyiv through several diplomatic channels but had not received a response it considered satisfactory.
“We took this step because we believe it is necessary to help resolve the matter amicably and rebuild trust between the two countries,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said during a regular briefing on Tuesday.
Park did not specify how many embassy personnel would be withdrawn but said a chargé d’affaires would remain in Kyiv to maintain diplomatic communication between the two governments.
He added that consular officials would also remain in Ukraine to assist and protect South Korean nationals.
The security situation in Ukraine also contributed to the decision, with Park saying continued threats of air strikes had made it difficult to guarantee the safety of diplomatic personnel.
The dispute followed Ukraine’s disclosure of the transfer of the two North Korean prisoners, who were captured while fighting alongside Russian forces in the war against Ukraine.
South Korea had earlier sought to receive the prisoners because of their North Korean nationality and the potential information they could provide about Pyongyang.
However, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said last week that Kyiv considered the matter closed.
Speaking to RBC-Ukraine, Sybiha said the disagreement arose from different interpretations of the confidentiality arrangements and maintained that Ukraine had fulfilled its obligations.
Goodness Anunobi
Follow us on:
