Overview
- South Korea announced on Tuesday that it will pull some diplomatic personnel from its embassy in Kyiv after previously recalling its ambassador in protest.
- The dispute began when President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 23 that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul.
- Seoul says Ukraine violated a confidentiality understanding, has given no satisfactory apology, and demanded a formal explanation; Kyiv denies there was a binding nondisclosure agreement and says the matter is closed.
- The foreign ministry cited both Kyiv’s lack of ‘positive steps’ and mounting Russian airstrike threats as reasons for the partial withdrawal, and it will keep a chargé d’affaires and all consular staff to maintain contact and protect nationals.
- The row risks straining military, intelligence and reconstruction cooperation, could endanger the prisoners’ relatives in North Korea if identities spread, and has already prompted Seoul to urge some of its citizens in Ukraine to consider evacuation.