Why did South Korea recall its ambassador to Ukraine over the North Korean POW disclosure?

Seoul recalled Ambassador Park Ki-chang after saying Zelenskyy’s public disclosure breached a confidentiality arrangement intended to protect the two soldiers and their families in North Korea. President Lee Jae Myung demanded an acknowledgment of the arrangement and a public apology.

Will South Korea continue supporting Ukraine despite its dispute with Kyiv?

Yes. A South Korean foreign ministry official said Seoul would continue assisting Ukraine as a responsible member of the international community while treating that assistance separately from the POW disclosure dispute and maintaining bilateral consultations.

How are European countries responding to tensions between South Korea and Ukraine?

Three European countries separately expressed hope that South Korea would maintain its support for Ukraine and offered to help ease tensions with Kyiv. The countries were not identified, and the contacts were not coordinated through a joint European approach.

Seoul to maintain Ukraine support despite NK POW dispute

Listen

Summary

South Korea will continue supporting Ukraine despite a diplomatic dispute over Kyiv’s disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war transferred to the South. Seoul will separate assistance to Ukraine from the dispute while pursuing consultations to resolve outstanding issues. The dispute followed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Sept. 23 disclosure, which Seoul says breached a confidentiality arrangement. Kyiv denies that such an understanding existed.

Key Facts

South Korea recalled Ambassador Park Ki-chang to Seoul on Saturday after considering the move as one of several possible responses to the disclosure.
President Lee Jae Myung has demanded that Kyiv acknowledge the confidentiality arrangement and publicly apologize, warning of additional measures if it refuses.
Three European countries separately expressed hope that South Korea would continue supporting Ukraine and offered to help ease tensions, although the countries were not identified.
The foreign ministry said the European messages did not constitute expressions of concern and were delivered during separate high-level contacts rather than through a coordinated initiative.

By Yi Whan-woo

Published Oct 15, 2026 5:43 pm KST
Updated Oct 15, 2026 6:16 pm KST

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy gives a speech during the U.N. General Assembly at the U.N. headquarters New York, Sept. 23. UPI-Yonhap

South Korea will continue supporting Ukraine “as a responsible member of the international community” despite a diplomatic dispute over the disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war being repatriated to the South, a foreign ministry official said Thursday.

The official said Seoul will treat its assistance to Ukraine separately from the dispute, while continuing bilateral consultations to resolve outstanding issues.

The remarks came after South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang was recalled to Seoul on Saturday, following a spat over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of the transfer during his U.N. General Assembly speech on Sept. 23.

The ambassador’s recall was one of several options Seoul considered after the disclosure, which it says breached a confidentiality arrangement intended to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea.

President Lee Jae Myung has demanded that Kyiv acknowledge the agreement and publicly apologize, warning of “additional measures” if it refuses. Kyiv has denied such an understanding existed.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry official also said three European countries have expressed hope that South Korea would continue supporting Ukraine and offered to help ease tensions between Seoul and Kyiv. The countries were not identified.

The exchanges took place during separate high-level contacts with each country, rather than through a coordinated approach by the European governments.

While the official said the messages did not constitute expressions of concern, they could reflect unease that Seoul’s recall of its ambassador might weaken international cooperation in supporting Ukraine against Russia.

The unusual disclosure of high-level diplomatic exchanges could also be seen as an effort by the ministry to reaffirm South Korea’s commitment to continued assistance.

Explore More