South Korea will withdraw additional embassy personnel from Ukraine following Kyiv’s lack of “constructive response” in a dispute about North Korean prisoners of war, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
– South Korea recalled its ambassador this month after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to the South.
– The disclosure breached an understanding to keep the transfer confidential so as to protect the soldiers and their families in the North, Seoul said.
– Seoul had told Ukraine of its position via multiple channels but had not received a sufficient response from Kyiv, ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said on Tuesday.
– “This measure was taken because we judged it necessary to facilitate an amicable resolution of the issue and restore trust between the two countries,” Park told a regular press briefing, without saying how many staff would leave.
– A chargé d’affaires would stay on in Kyiv to maintain diplomatic communication along with all consular staff, in order to protect South Korean nationals, Park added.
– Persistent air strike threats across Ukraine had also made it difficult to ensure staff safety, he said.
– Last week Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told the RBC-Ukraine news outlet that Kyiv considered the matter closed.
– He attributed the dispute to differing interpretations of confidentiality arrangements, saying Ukraine had fulfilled all its obligations.