South Korea withdraws embassy staff over Ukraine POW dispute

South Korea plans to pull more embassy workers out of Ukraine because Kyiv did not give a constructive answer regarding North Korean prisoners of war. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this decision on Tuesday after officials in Seoul felt the response from Ukraine was simply not enough. Spokesperson Park Doo-soon explained that they had shared their position through multiple channels but never received a reply that met their standards.

This diplomatic friction started earlier this month when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the United Nations General Assembly about a prisoner transfer. He stated that Ukraine had moved two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea for safety. That disclosure angered Seoul, which argued the operation should have stayed hidden to protect families still living in North Korea. Park told reporters that this measure was needed to help resolve the issue and rebuild trust between the nations.

A charge d'affaires will remain in Kyiv to handle diplomatic communication while all consular staff stay behind to protect South Korean nationals. Air strike threats across Ukraine made it hard to ensure everyone's safety, according to Park. The two countries previously exchanged sharp words after Seoul summoned the Ukrainian ambassador and warned of further measures without specifying what those might be.

Ukraine insists that diplomacy must prevail over emotions in this strained relationship between the neighbors. Officials in Kyiv also claim they consider the situation resolved now. South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun noted earlier this month that a message from Ukraine included words of apology, but it fell short of the level Seoul expected. Under South Korea's constitution, all North Koreans are considered citizens of the Republic of Korea, and those who reach its territory to defect are generally allowed to stay.