(3rd LD) S. Korea to withdraw some embassy staff from Ukraine amid N.K. POW dispute

By Oh Seok-min

SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has decided to withdraw some diplomatic personnel from Ukraine amid an ongoing dispute over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul and persistent threats of airstrikes across the country, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

The decision came as Ukraine has not taken "positive steps" to resolve the diplomatic dispute over Kyiv's unilateral disclosure of the transfer of the North Korean POWs to Seoul, ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said at a regular press briefing.

Park also cited continued Russian airstrikes as another reason for the decision, saying they have made it difficult to ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel.

Despite the partial withdrawal, South Korea will maintain necessary diplomatic communications with Ukraine through its charge d'affaires, while all consular personnel will remain in the country to continue efforts to protect South Korean nationals there, the ministry said.

Seoul has demanded an official explanation, an apology and assurances against a recurrence after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer and his office subsequently denied that there had been an agreement to keep the matter confidential.

Kyiv, however, has yet to formally respond to Seoul's demands. In protest, South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, earlier this month.

"We had conveyed our position to Ukraine through various channels. But Ukraine had taken no positive steps despite those efforts," Park said, calling for "sincere and positive steps" in response to Seoul's previous requests.

Noting that the two countries remain in communication, the spokesperson said Seoul's goal was to "seek an amicable resolution through close consultations with the Ukrainian side."

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has said the two nations had agreed from the outset to keep the matter confidential to protect the soldiers and their families, who remain in North Korea. He also said Ukraine had initially requested that the matter not be made public.

Cho said he had personally received a message from Sybiha that included an apology but fell short of Seoul's expectations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said, following South Korea's recall of its ambassador, that he considered the controversy "a closed matter," according to foreign media reports.

The two soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region and arrived in South Korea in mid-September, officials here said.

The ministry said the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine will continue measures to ensure the safety of South Koreans in Ukraine by providing safety updates and offering assistance to those wishing to evacuate.

The ministry declined to confirm the exact number of diplomatic personnel to be withdrawn, but officials said roughly half of the staff would leave Ukraine.

The ministry also said it will urge South Korean nationals in Ukraine to evacuate as soon as possible and help those wishing to leave reach neighboring countries safely before or at the time of the diplomatic personnel's withdrawal.

The embassy plans to ask some 85 South Korean nationals currently in Ukraine whether they wish to evacuate as it conducts daily safety checks Tuesday. The exact timing of the staff's withdrawal has yet to be determined.

"We will coordinate with the embassy to find the safest and most effective means of assisting South Koreans who wish to evacuate," Park said.

A Level 4 travel advisory, the highest level, remains in effect across Ukraine, where the threat of indiscriminate missile and drone attacks has recently increased.

On Monday, Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles and more than 200 drones in overnight attacks, damaging energy infrastructure and leaving more than 500,000 households without power, according to foreign media reports.