Seoul Recalls Ukraine Ambassador As North Korean POW Dispute Deepens Between Both Sides

South Korea said Thursday it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, escalating a diplomatic dispute over Kyiv's public disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The decision came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed details of what Seoul described as a previously confidential arrangement involving the two soldiers. South Korea has protested the disclosure and accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure understanding surrounding the transfer. Seoul's Foreign Ministry said Ambassador Park Hee-chang would be recalled, although it did not specify when he would return to South Korea.

The ministry said South Korea would continue consultations with Ukraine and expressed hope that the disagreement could be resolved smoothly. The recall represents a further escalation after President Lee Jae Myung warned earlier that Seoul could take unspecified punitive measures if Ukraine did not apologise over the disclosure. South Korean officials have objected to the public release of information about the transfer, arguing that the matter had been handled on the understanding that details would remain confidential. Ukraine, however, has denied that it agreed to such a nondisclosure arrangement.

The dispute began after Zelenskyy referred to the North Korean prisoners during his address to the United Nations on September 23. The Ukrainian president's remarks brought the previously undisclosed transfer into public view and prompted an immediate reaction from Seoul. South Korea subsequently accused Kyiv of breaching an agreement related to the soldiers' transfer in mid-September. Ukrainian authorities have rejected that accusation, saying there was no agreement of the kind described by South Korea. The conflicting accounts have since developed into a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.

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The two North Korean soldiers were among thousands of North Korean troops deployed to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. They were captured by Ukrainian forces in early 2025 and later expressed a desire to settle in South Korea rather than return to North Korea. South Korean authorities had indicated that they were prepared to accept the soldiers, citing Seoul's constitutional and legal position that regards the Korean Peninsula as a single territory and its longstanding policy of accepting North Korean defectors. Those who resettle in South Korea can receive government assistance intended to support their adjustment to life in the South.

The fate of North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia has been a sensitive issue for both Ukraine and South Korea. North Korea has strengthened its military cooperation with Russia, including the deployment of troops to support Russian forces in the war against Ukraine. For South Korea, the treatment of captured North Korean personnel also carries broader humanitarian and security implications because individuals returning to North Korea could potentially face punishment for having fought alongside Russia or having been captured by Ukrainian forces. Seoul's policy of accepting North Korean defectors has therefore shaped its position on the two prisoners.

The decision to recall Park marks the latest step in the dispute but does not end diplomatic communication between Seoul and Kyiv. South Korea's Foreign Ministry said consultations with Ukraine would continue and that it hoped the disagreement could be resolved. The episode comes as South Korea maintains relations with Ukraine while also closely monitoring North Korea's expanding military cooperation with Russia. For Kyiv, the captured North Korean soldiers have provided evidence of Pyongyang's direct involvement in supporting Russia's war effort. For Seoul, the controversy has focused on the handling of the prisoners and the circumstances under which information about their transfer was disclosed publicly.

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