South Korea will recall more staff from its diplomatic mission in Ukraine over the deepening dispute with Kiev over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war. The decision was made after Seoul failed to receive a constructive response from the Ukrainian side, the South Korean Foreign Ministry said.
Ministry spokesman Park Doo-sung cited the constant threat of air strikes across Ukraine as an additional reason. He said this made it difficult to ensure the security of diplomatic staff.
„After the ambassador's recall from Ukraine – "a measure that did not provoke any constructive reaction from the Ukrainian authorities, and given the constant threat of air strikes throughout Ukraine, the government decided to return home some of the employees of its diplomatic mission," said Park Doo-sung.The South Korean government has not announced how many employees will be recalled and when exactly they will return to the country. It has only been indicated that it is a part of the diplomatic mission staff.
The dispute began after Zelensky's statement
Diplomatic tensions erupted after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly announced the transfer to South Korea of two North Korean soldiers captured by the Ukrainian army. The South Korean authorities wanted the information to remain confidential.
In early October, Seoul announced that it was recalling its ambassador from Kiev. South Korea criticized Zelensky for disclosing the agreement and demanded a formal apology from Ukraine.
President Lee Jae-myung expressed concerns that public disclosure of the case could endanger the families of the prisoners of war who are in North Korea. South Korean authorities are demanding that Kiev admit that a confidentiality agreement was violated.
Kiev said it wants dialogue
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry earlier said it was ready to resume constructive dialogue with Seoul, despite the decision to recall the ambassador. Kiev indicated that the differences were related to the interpretation of confidentiality agreements.
However, South Korea assessed the response so far as insufficient and took a new measure by withdrawing some of its employees. There is currently no indication that the two countries are severing diplomatic relations, and Seoul has not announced any additional steps after the return of the personnel.
Sources: bta.bg, marketscreener.com, apnews.com