South Korea recalls Ukraine ambassador over two North Korean POWs

South Korea said on 8 October it would recall its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chang, after Kyiv publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. The foreign ministry said the government had decided to recall the ambassador and hoped all outstanding issues between the two countries would be resolved amicably through continued consultations with the Ukrainian side.politico.eu

The recall marks an escalation in an unusual public rift between two countries that both face the consequences of growing Russian-North Korean military cooperation. South Korea has been broadly supportive of Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale war, which has also strengthened ties between Moscow and Pyongyang. The dispute now puts that relationship under strain over how the two captured soldiers were handled.aljazeera.com

What the recall announcement said

The row began when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed, during his United Nations General Assembly address last month, that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia to South Korea. Seoul accused Kyiv of breaching a confidentiality agreement between the two capitals, saying the disclosure on such a highly sensitive issue could cause many problems.independent.co.uk

On 24 September, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung accused Ukraine of breaching the confidentiality agreement. Lee said the public disclosure could cause many problems, even though Seoul had publicly pledged in 2025 to accept North Korean prisoners of war. The soldiers were captured in early 2025 and have expressed a desire to resettle in South Korea, fearing persecution if returned to North Korea.

How the row began at the UN

South Korea's foreign ministry said the nondisclosure agreement was made because officials were concerned about the safety of the soldiers and their relatives in the North. South Korea legally regards the North as part of its territory and has a policy of accepting and financially supporting North Korean defectors, which is why it agreed to take the two prisoners.

Kyiv initially denied that any such agreement existed, according to Ukrainian media. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha later described the situation as a diplomatic misunderstanding. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers that Sybiha had issued an apology, but suggested it fell short of what Seoul expected, broadcaster SBS reported.

Kyiv's denial and apology

Cho Hyun told South Korean lawmakers that because there was some gap with the level Seoul envisioned, the government intended to take resolute measures. The announcement of the recall followed days after Lee threatened unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refused to apologise over the revelation. The foreign ministry named the recalled envoy as ambassador Park Hee-chang.

As the disagreement escalated, Ukraine accused South Korea of accounting for 31% of Russia's fuel imports in August. Vladyslav Vlasiuk, a Ukrainian sanctions expert, said Russia imported more than 176,000 tonnes of petroleum products from South Korean ports in July and August, shipments that began as Ukrainian strikes reduced Russian refinery processing volumes. Seoul called the allegations incorrect and inappropriate.

Ukraine's fuel import counterclaim

The dispute sits against a wider shift in South Korean foreign policy under Lee, who belongs to the progressive camp that prioritises dialogue with Pyongyang. Leif Eric Leasley, a professor of International Studies at Ewha University in Seoul, said the Lee government may be hesitant to increase support for Kyiv while United States backing under Donald Trump appears uncertain.

Tong Zhao, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the frictions reflect a broader tension in South Korea's foreign-policy orientation, as Seoul seeks cooperation with Western partners while developing relations with countries like China, Russia and North Korea. Lee has expanded overtures to both North Korea and Moscow, a departure from his conservative predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol.

South Korea has provided $445m in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since 2022, and in July Lee pledged $100m in aid to Ukraine during a meeting with Zelenskyy. Tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers have been sent to join Russian troops, and Zelenskyy claimed in June that Russia was seeking to bring more North Koreans to the conflict.

The foreign ministry said the government hoped various issues between the two countries would be resolved and would continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to that end. No date has been set for the ambassador's return or for a further round of talks, and Ukraine's response to the recall had not been announced as of 8 October.