South Korea to recall Ukraine envoy in diplomatic row over POWs

What the report says

South Korea said it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine after a dispute over Kyiv’s public comments about the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. The announcement, reported by Al Jazeera on Thursday, followed days of escalating tension between the two governments and a warning from South Korean President Lee Jae Myung that unspecified punitive steps could follow unless Ukraine apologised.

According to the South Korean foreign ministry, the move was meant to address the diplomatic row while leaving room for continued talks. The disagreement emerged after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to the transfer in a United Nations speech last month. Seoul says the disclosure breached a nondisclosure agreement linked to the handover of the prisoners in mid-September, while Kyiv denies that it accepted such an arrangement.

The two men were among North Korean troops sent to support Russia’s war against Ukraine. South Korea has said it would accept them, arguing that it considers North Korea part of its territory and generally supports North Korean defectors. South Korean officials also said the confidentiality arrangement was intended to protect the prisoners and their families.

The episode adds another complication to South Korea’s aid relationship with Ukraine. Al Jazeera noted that Seoul has provided humanitarian assistance since 2022 and that Lee pledged additional support in July. The dispute also sits against a wider backdrop of hardened North Korea policy, with Pyongyang shunning talks and deepening ties with Russia.