South Korea Has Recalled Its Ambassador From Ukraine

• 8.10.2026, 11:51

Because of a dispute over North Korean prisoners of war.

South Korea has recalled its ambassador from Ukraine due to a diplomatic dispute over the disclosure of information regarding the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war.

This was reported on Thursday, October 8, by The Chosun Daily.

On October 8, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its decision to recall Ambassador Park Ki-jang to Seoul.

The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it “expects all outstanding issues between the two countries to be resolved and will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to address them.”

On September 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during the UN General Assembly, stated that Ukraine had handed over two prisoners of war from North Korea to South Korea. He reported that the handover had taken place recently.

On September 24, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung accused Ukraine of violating an agreement not to disclose information about the handover of North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. He stated that the issue of their repatriation is “extremely sensitive” and “related to diplomacy and national security.”