South Korea Considers Recalling Ambassador Over Ukraine POW Disclosure
South Korea may recall its ambassador to Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war.
The South Korean government is considering the recall of its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chang, following a breach of confidentiality regarding the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. The dispute stems from a September 23 speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations General Assembly, where he publicly revealed that the soldiers had been transferred to Seoul.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stated that while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha provided an apology via messages, the response was insufficient and failed to meet Seoul's expectations. Cho noted that the confidentiality agreement was intended to protect the soldiers and their families remaining in North Korea. He suggested that Zelenskyy might have disclosed the transfer to highlight Ukraine's status as a liberal democracy to the UN.
Ukraine has characterized the incident as a "diplomatic misunderstanding." The office of President Zelenskyy claims that South Korea was informed of the speech in advance and maintains that no identifiable information about the soldiers was released. The two soldiers were originally captured in January 2025 in the Kursk region of Russia and transferred to South Korea in mid-September 2026.
