Seoul Pulls Embassy Staff From Kyiv in POW Transfer Feud
The move follows Seoul’s Oct. 8 recall of Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang, according to a South Korean daily.
The rift erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed in his Sept. 23 address to the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had handed the two captured North Korean soldiers over to South Korea. Seoul has accused Kyiv of breaching a confidentiality agreement meant to keep the transfer secret and shield the prisoners and their families in North Korea. Ukrainian officials deny any such agreement existed, a position South Korea disputes.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Du-sun said Tuesday that the withdrawal was driven by the ongoing threat of airstrikes nationwide.
“The government decided to withdraw some diplomatic staff, considering the persistent threat of airstrikes across Ukraine and the difficulty in ensuring safety, despite the absence of proactive measures from Ukraine even after the recall of the ambassador to Ukraine,” Park told reporters in Seoul.
Diplomatic communication will continue through the acting ambassador, he said, while all consular staff will stay in place to “ensure the protection of citizens abroad.”
North Korea has sent thousands of troops to back Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence assessments.
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