Ukraine remains open to restoring constructive dialogue with South Korea despite Seoul’s decision to recall its ambassador. This was reported by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, according to UNN.
Details
According to Tykhyi, this week the ambassador of the Republic of Korea was invited to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry to present our position and seek constructive solutions. The Ukrainian side’s position was conveyed to him.
We are convinced that diplomacy should prevail over emotions. Despite Seoul’s decision to recall its ambassador, Ukraine remains open to restoring constructive dialogue — even if it takes time
Earlier
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Thursday that it would "recall its ambassador from Ukraine" amid a diplomatic dispute over the disclosure of information about the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul.
As reported by UNN, South Korea received an apology from Ukraine regarding the disclosure of information about the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Tuesday. At the same time, he added that the apology did not meet Seoul’s expectations.
What preceded this
Two North Korean servicemen were captured in January 2025 while fighting on Russia’s side in the Kursk region. In mid-September, they arrived in South Korea.
On September 23, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukraine had handed over two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
Answering a question about why Zelenskyy disclosed information about the transfer, Cho suggested — emphasizing that this was only his personal interpretation — that the Ukrainian president may have wanted to demonstrate to the United Nations that Ukraine had acted properly as a liberal democracy.
Cho said that from the outset there had been an agreement to keep the matter confidential in order to protect the servicemen and their families who remain in North Korea. According to him, it was the Ukrainian side that first asked for this information not to be made public.
After Seoul demanded an official explanation and an apology, Sybiha called the situation a "diplomatic misunderstanding" and expressed hope that it would soon be resolved.