South Korea recalls Ukraine ambassador over North Korean POW disclosure

Reporting Notes

This article synthesizes published sources listed below. Consult those sources for their evidence and scope.

Seoul escalates a dispute over secrecy

South Korea said it would recall its ambassador to Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. The foreign ministry said consultations with Kyiv would continue and expressed hope that the dispute could be resolved.

Seoul says the transfer was covered by a confidentiality understanding intended to protect the soldiers and relatives who remain in North Korea. Ukraine has disputed that account, and South Korean officials said an apology conveyed through diplomatic channels did not meet their expectations.

The soldiers were captured while fighting for Russia

The two North Korean soldiers were captured by Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk region in January 2025 and arrived in South Korea in September 2026, according to South Korean officials cited by AP and Yonhap. They sought resettlement rather than return to North Korea.

South Korea treats North Koreans as citizens under its constitution and has a system for receiving defectors. Officials said confidentiality was also meant to reduce the risk of retaliation against the men's families.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a 2022 address to South Korea's National Assembly — Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine — File photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during an address to South Korea's National Assembly in 2022.

A sensitive partnership now faces strain

Ukraine has publicized the presence of North Korean troops supporting Russia as evidence that the war has become more international. South Korea, meanwhile, has supplied humanitarian assistance to Kyiv and closely tracks battlefield cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang because of its implications for security on the Korean Peninsula.

Recalling an ambassador is a formal diplomatic signal, but it does not necessarily mean relations are being severed. Seoul did not announce a timetable for Ambassador Park Hee-chang's return or additional punitive measures.

The next step depends on official consultations

The dispute now turns on whether Kyiv provides the public clarification and apology sought by Seoul. South Korean officials have emphasized that they still consider ties with Ukraine important even as they demand accountability over the disclosure.

North Korea had not issued a public response to the transfer when this report was verified. Pyongyang's reaction remains a significant uncertainty because it has historically treated defections and resettlement in South Korea as politically sensitive.