South Korea will recall additional embassy staff from Ukraine after Kyiv failed to provide a "constructive response" in a dispute over North Korean prisoners of war. The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported this on October 20, UNN writes, citing Reuters.
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South Korea recalled its ambassador earlier this month after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had handed over two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
According to Seoul, the disclosure violated an agreement to keep the transfer confidential in order to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea.
Seoul informed Ukraine of its position through several channels but did not receive an adequate response from Kyiv, ministry spokesperson Park Doo-sun said on Tuesday.
"This measure was taken because we considered it necessary to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the issue and restore trust between the two countries," Park said at a regular press briefing, without specifying how many employees would be recalled.
The chargé d’affaires will remain in Kyiv to maintain diplomatic communications, along with all consular staff, in order to protect South Korean citizens, Park added.
The constant threats of air strikes across Ukraine have also made it difficult to ensure the safety of the staff, he said.
Last week, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said in comments to the media that Kyiv considered the matter closed. He explained the dispute as resulting from differing interpretations of the confidentiality agreements, stating that Ukraine had fulfilled all its obligations.