South Korea says it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine amid a diplomatic dispute over the disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. Korea’s Foreign Ministry announces the recall of Ambassador Park Ki-chang (or Park Hee-chang in one outlet’s reporting), saying it hopes remaining issues between the countries are resolved amicably and that consultations with Ukraine continue.
The row follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of the POW handover during a Sept. 23 address at the UN General Assembly in New York. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expresses disappointment after the disclosure, saying Ukraine breached an understanding to keep the transfer confidential, while Kyiv denies that such an agreement existed. Seoul then demands an explanation and apology, with multiple outlets describing the diplomatic friction as continuing for more than two weeks.
Some reports also note that the recall comes alongside broader scrutiny of South Korea’s dealings involving shipments tied to Russia, including claims about fuel shipments. Other outlets focus mainly on the POW-related disagreement and the formal decision to withdraw the ambassador for further review.
