South Korea to recall Ukraine ambassador over POW disclosure

South Korea said on 8 October that it would recall its ambassador to Ukraine after a dispute over Ukraine’s public disclosure that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea. Seoul said it had received an apology but regarded it as inadequate, while Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had not apologised.¹

Dispute over confidentiality

The row centres on two North Korean soldiers captured by Ukraine in early 2025 and later transferred to South Korea. President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed the transfer during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on 23 September, according to reports cited by Seoul and other accounts of the episode.¹³

South Korea says the transfer had been subject to an understanding that it would remain confidential. The Ukrainian Presidential Office has denied that a non-disclosure agreement existed. Seoul said confidentiality was important partly for the protection of the prisoners’ families, while South Korean officials also said Kyiv had sought secrecy to avoid criticism over giving up a possible exchange opportunity.¹²

Lee Jae Myung, South Korea’s president, described the disclosure as a highly sensitive matter and said it was greatly disappointing. He warned that Seoul could take additional steps if Ukraine did not apologise, according to the reports.¹²

Apology contested

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he had remained in contact with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, and that messages received from Sybiha included an apology. Cho said, however, that the response did not meet Seoul’s expectations and that South Korea intended to pursue firm measures.¹³

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry gave a different account, saying Sybiha had not apologised. Earlier, Sybiha described the episode as a diplomatic misunderstanding and said South Korea was an important ally, according to the Kyiv Independent. The Ukrainian Presidential Office’s denial of any secrecy agreement remains at odds with Seoul’s position.¹²

Before Seoul announced the ambassador’s recall, South Korea had said it was considering a range of responses, including bringing its envoy home from Kyiv. The ministry said it would keep discussing the matter with Ukraine and hoped the outstanding issues could be resolved without difficulty.¹²³

Wider setting

Ukraine announced in 2025 that it had captured the two North Korean soldiers. An estimated 11,000 North Korean troops had been deployed to Russia’s Kursk Oblast, according to the Kyiv Independent, and Ukraine’s military intelligence service, HUR, said in June that more than 7,000 had become casualties during Ukraine’s incursion into the region.²

The diplomatic dispute comes after South Korea announced a $100 million assistance package for Ukraine in July. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has warned that it would retaliate if South Korea supplied arms to Ukraine.¹