Seoul eyes ambassador recall as Ukraine's POW apology fails to meet expectations

South Korea is weighing its next move against Ukraine — including a potential recall of its ambassador to Ukraine — after deeming Kyiv's apology over the public disclosure of a North Korean prisoner of war transfer "insufficient," even as experts urge Seoul to de-escalate, warning that a deepening rift could damage long-term ties with Europe.

South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun signaled the hardening stance Tuesday, speaking during a parliamentary audit that Ukraine's foreign minister had sent a message that "included words of apology" but fell short of what Seoul had expected.

"We intend to take firm measures," Cho said, adding that recalling ambassador Park Hee-chang was among the options under consideration.

The foreign ministry formalized that position Wednesday, saying Seoul had urged Kyiv to provide a "clear explanation and apology" for disclosing the transfer and for issuing what it called "false statements" denying the existence of a confidentiality agreement.

"While Ukraine subsequently presented its position, South Korea considers that the response fell short of an adequate apology," the ministry said Wednesday, adding that it is coordinating closely with the presidential National Security Office. The ministry is currently fine-tuning the level of its response.

The standoff stems from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement during a United Nations General Assembly speech on Sept. 23 that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea. Seoul, including President Lee Jae Myung, says the two countries agreed to keep the transfer confidential at Kyiv's request, while Kyiv denies any such agreement existed.

A South Korean diplomat said the breach of a diplomatic nondisclosure agreement of this nature is effectively without precedent. "It is hard to find a similar case," the diplomat said.

The Ukrainian government did not respond to The Korea Times’s inquiry into the matter.

Experts broadly cautioned against escalation, warning that pushing the dispute further could backfire on Seoul's overarching foreign policy goals, strain ties with European allies and inadvertently hand strategic leverage to Russia.

Ban Kil-joo, a professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said Seoul's best strategy is to give Ukraine time to deliver a more satisfactory apology while controlling the pace of the standoff.

"It is a strategy centered on controlling the timeline and setting the pace,” Ban said, adding that it would minimize risks and help preserve bilateral ties.

He cautioned against canceling aid packages to Ukraine.

"Although South Korea does not provide lethal weapons, it has provided financial and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and joined anti-Russia sanctions since the Russia-Ukraine war broke out. While cancelling these aid packages could be a powerful bargaining chip, it would strain ties not only with Ukraine but also with Europe, undercutting Korea's diplomatic consistency," he said.

"For Seoul, which pursues 'global pivotal state' status and 'G7+' diplomacy, alienating key like-minded security partners makes reaching its foreign policy goals difficult. It offers leverage, but carries significant risk."

On the specific option of recalling the ambassador, Ban warned that Moscow could seek to exploit it.

"Russia could see South Korea recall its ambassador — despite Seoul's past assistance to Kyiv — as a blueprint to encourage other pro-Ukraine nations to roll back their support," he noted.

Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, urged Seoul to keep the dispute contained at the foreign ministry level rather than allowing it to escalate to the presidential level.

“If the South Korean government wants to get an apology, it should keep the dispute at the foreign ministry level, not through the mouth of the South Korean president. Escalating tensions to the presidential level between Lee and Zelenskyy risks broader fallout. Straining relations with Kyiv could ultimately sour South Korea’s relations with European allies countering Russia,” Park said.