South Korea to pull more Ukraine embassy staff after POW dispute

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Two North Korean POWs, whose faces are blurred due to security reasons, were recently transferred from Ukraine to South Korea.

SEOUL – South Korea will withdraw additional embassy personnel from Ukraine following Kyiv’s lack of “constructive response” in a dispute about North Korean prisoners of war, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said on Oct 20.

South Korea recalled its ambassador in October after President Volodymyr Zelensky told the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to the South.

The disclosure breached an understanding to keep the transfer confidential so as to protect the soldiers and their families in the North, Seoul said.

Seoul had told Ukraine of its position via multiple channels but had not received a sufficient response from Kyiv, ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said on Oct 20.

“This measure was taken because we judged it necessary to facilitate an amicable resolution of the issue and restore trust between the two countries,” Park told a regular press briefing, without saying how many staff would leave.

A charge d’affaires would stay on in Kyiv to maintain diplomatic communication along with all consular staff, in order to protect South Korean nationals, Park added.

Persistent air strike threats across Ukraine had also made it difficult to ensure staff safety, he said.

Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha told the RBC-Ukraine news outlet that Kyiv considered the matter closed.

He attributed the dispute to differing interpretations of confidentiality arrangements, saying Ukraine had fulfilled all its obligations. REUTERS