Exposure of North Korean prisoners of war endangers their families! South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine in protest

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 8th that it had decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine. The picture shows South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun.

South Korea and Ukraine are at odds over whether there is a confidentiality agreement for the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war. Although South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun revealed on the 6th that he had received a "message containing an apology" from Ukraine, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on the 8th that it had decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine.

The "North Korean Prisoner of War Crisis" between South Korea and Ukraine began in January 2025. The Ukrainian army captured two North Korean soldiers alive in Kursk; they handed them over to South Korea in September this year. The original agreement was strictly confidential. Unexpectedly, Ukrainian President Zelensky made the matter public at the United Nations General Assembly, hoping to use this to pressure South Korea to provide military assistance. This move triggered a strong backlash from South Korea, which emphasized that becoming a prisoner of war while alive was a serious crime for North Korea. Disclosure of the identity of the two soldiers would lead to the persecution of the two soldiers' family members in North Korea, seriously undermining mutual trust between the two countries.

According to the Chosun Ilbo report, South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying that it would recall its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang (transliteration). South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that South Korea hopes that the issues with Ukraine can be resolved and will continue to negotiate with Ukraine, but did not elaborate.

Before South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the recall of its ambassador to Ukraine, Zhao Xian pointed out that he had received information about Ukraine's apology, but there was still a gap between the level of apology expected by South Korea. When asked at the South Korean Parliament on the 6th whether Ukraine had not apologized, Zhao Xian responded, "I can't say no. I have been exchanging messages with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, and he is very embarrassed by this."

Zhao Xian pointed out that there is a gap between Ukraine's actions and the degree of apology South Korea believes it deserves, so he plans to take further measures. Some South Korean congressmen advocated recalling the ambassador to Ukraine. In response, Zhao Xian said that the plan was within the scope of discussion.