South Korea Recalls Its Ambassador to Ukraine in Row Over Zelenskyy's Disclosure of North Korean POW Transfer
Seoul says Kyiv broke a nondisclosure agreement when Zelenskyy mentioned in his U.N. speech that two captured North Korean soldiers had been sent to the South. Ukraine denies agreeing to any such deal.
South Korea said Thursday it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, escalating a protest against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over his disclosure of a supposedly secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. The Foreign Ministry did not say when Ambassador Park Hee-chang will be brought home.
The announcement came days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung threatened unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refuses to apologize. A ministry statement said Seoul will keep consulting with Kyiv and hopes the dispute can be resolved smoothly.
The row began when Zelenskyy spoke about the transfer of the North Korean soldiers in his U.N. speech on September 23. South Korea accuses Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement covering the transfer, which took place in mid-September. Kyiv denies it ever agreed to such a deal.
The soldiers were among thousands of North Korean troops sent to support Russia's war against Ukraine. Since their capture in early 2025, the two men had said they wanted to resettle in South Korea, because they could face persecution if returned home. Seoul had said it would accept them. It legally regards the North as part of its territory and has a policy of accepting and financially supporting North Korean defectors.
South Korean officials said the nondisclosure agreement was made out of concern for the safety of the soldiers and their relatives in the North. Many experts say the liberal government in Seoul likely also worries that publicity about their arrival could hurt its efforts to improve ties with North Korea. North Korea's state media has not commented on the transfer. The North has previously reacted with fury to major defections, accusing Seoul of kidnapping its citizens, and it has shunned talks with South Korea and the United States and focused on its nuclear program since 2019.
It is unclear what other steps South Korea might take. Experts note that good relations with Ukraine serve Seoul's national interest, since Kyiv can share intelligence about North Korea's growing cooperation with Russia and what its troops have learned on the battlefield. The relationship also matters for South Korea's partnerships with the many Western countries that back Ukraine in the war.
Observers say Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer to expose the danger of North Korea's military support for Russia and to win more international assistance. South Korea has given Ukraine $445 million in humanitarian aid since 2022. In July, Lee pledged another $100 million during a meeting with Zelenskyy, which makes the sudden diplomatic chill notable.
For now the two governments are still talking, but recalling an ambassador is one of the stronger signals short of cutting ties. Whether Zelenskyy offers the apology Lee has demanded, or Kyiv holds to its position that no secrecy deal existed, will decide how long the rift lasts.
