South Korea withdraws part of its embassy staff from Ukraine amid the dispute over North Korean prisoners

South Korea is withdrawing part of its diplomatic staff in Ukraine, escalating the diplomatic dispute with Kyiv over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul. The decision was announced on Tuesday, October 20 by the Foreign Ministry spokesperson at the regular press briefing, Yonhap reported. It comes twelve days after the recall of South Korea’s ambassador in Kyiv.

“As Ukraine has made no constructive move since the recall of our ambassador, the government decided to withdraw part of the embassy staff, taking into account the continuing threat of air raids across Ukraine and the difficulty of ensuring their safety,” the ministry said in a statement. Necessary diplomatic communication with Ukraine will continue through the chargé d’affaires, while “all consular staff will remain in Ukraine to continue protecting Korean citizens”, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily. Seoul hopes all open issues will be resolved “amicably” and will continue consultations with Kyiv.

How the dispute began

The two soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region and arrived in South Korea in mid-September. The dispute erupted when President Volodymyr Zelensky revealed the transfer in his address to the UN General Assembly on September 23. Seoul argues that the disclosure violated a confidentiality agreement meant to protect the prisoners and their families in North Korea, and demands an official explanation and apology from Kyiv, as we reported when it summoned Ukraine’s envoy.

President Lee Jae-myung had warned of “further measures” if Ukraine did not apologise. The ministry announced the ambassador’s recall on October 8, and he arrived in Seoul on October 10.

Kyiv disputes Seoul’s account

Kyiv disputes Seoul’s version. According to the Kyiv Post, the Ukrainian side maintains that South Korea had been told in advance that Zelensky would refer to the transfer at the UN, without revealing identities or sensitive operational details. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun had said that Andrii Sybiha sent a message of apology, which did not meet Seoul’s expectations. Kyiv says that “diplomacy must prevail over emotions” and considers the matter settled.

North Korea has sent soldiers and ammunition to Russia, while Seoul has provided Ukraine with financial and humanitarian aid.