South Korea has announced it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, marking a significant escalation in a diplomatic dispute between the two nations. This conflict began last month when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed that his government had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.
Background of the Dispute
Seoul claims that Ukraine violated an agreement to keep the transfer confidential. However, Zelensky's office asserts that no non-disclosure agreement existed. The two North Korean soldiers, who were among thousands supporting Russia in the ongoing Ukraine war, had previously expressed their desire to be sent to South Korea.
In September, South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo lodged a formal complaint with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Vieshkin regarding the matter. Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that he received an apology from his Ukrainian counterpart, but local reports indicate that this apology did not meet Seoul's expectations.
Recent Developments
On Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi informed reporters that Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had not issued an apology, according to the Ukrainian news site Liga. In a statement on Thursday, South Korea's Foreign Ministry expressed its intention to "continue consultations with the Ukrainian side," while anticipating that "various outstanding issues... would be resolved smoothly."
Zelensky's Announcement
Zelensky disclosed the transfer during a speech at the UN General Assembly in September, stating that the two North Koreans had not been "easy to capture alive." This revelation prompted a strong condemnation from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who described it as "greatly disappointing" and emphasized that the transfer was a "highly sensitive issue" affecting national security.
