Seoul to maintain Ukraine aid despite spat over North Korea prisoner transfer
South Korea says support for Kyiv will continue despite diplomatic friction over the public disclosure of North Korean POW repatriation.
Quick Look
South Korea pledges to continue aid to Ukraine despite a diplomatic dispute sparked by President Volodymyr Zelensky's public disclosure of North Korean POWs being repatriated to the South.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
South Korean Ambassador Park Ki-chang was recalled following Ukrainian President Zelensky's disclosure of North Korean POW transfers during a UN speech.
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 on Thursday.
The official said Seoul would treat its help 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 Zelensky’s public disclosure of the transfer during his UN General Assembly speech on September 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.
Open Questions
- How will bilateral consultations resolve the confidentiality breach?
- When will Ambassador Park Ki-chang return to Kyiv?
