South Korea announced the withdrawal of its ambassador to Kyiv in response to tensions between countries caused by the disclosure of a transfer of North Korean prisoners to Seoul.
© Reuters
08/10/2026
by
Lusa
A South Korea announced today the withdrawal of its ambassador in Kyiv in response to tensions between countries due to the breach of confidentiality around a transfer of North Korean prisoners to Seoul.
“The government decided to withdraw its ambassador from Ukraine. The government hopes that all disputes between the two countries will be resolved amicably and will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side for this purpose,” the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Kyiv reacted through a spokesman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who in statements to journalists argued that “diplomacy should prevail over emotion”, adding that he still believes in a “constructive dialogue” with Seoul.
The address is at the 81st UN General Assembly of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he stated that Kyiv would transfer North Korean soldiers captured by the Ukrainian army to Seoul.
The South Korean authorities intended to maintain secrecy around this case due to tensions with North Korea and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung demanded official excuses, fearing that this disclosure would endanger the families of the prisoners of war.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the incident was a “diplomatic misunderstanding”.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, North Korea has become a key ally of the Kremlin, sending soldiers to support Moscow's war effort in exchange for economic advantages and military technologies.
At the same time, The Guardian reported that South Korea sent around 176,000 tons of hydrocarbons, mainly diesel, to Russia between July and August.
Kyiv condemned this shipment, although South Korea has today argued that diesel deliveries to Moscow are not subject to export controls.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs today indicated that diesel, even if it came from South Korea, would not violate export bans.
“ Refined petroleum products, including commercial diesel and aviation fuel, mentioned in the Guardian article, are not subject to the export controls of South Korea against Russia,” the South Korean Ministry stressed, stressing that global exports to Moscow have fallen by less than half since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“It has not been proven that South Korean fuels, including diesel, have been exported to Russia,” he added.