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By Oh Seok-min
SEOUL, Oct. 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea has decided to withdraw some diplomatic personnel from Ukraine amid an ongoing dispute over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul and persistent threats of airstrikes across the country, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
The decision came as Ukraine has not taken "positive steps" to resolve the diplomatic dispute over Kyiv's unilateral disclosure of the transfer of the North Korean POWs to Seoul, ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said at a regular press briefing.
Park also cited continued Russian airstrikes as another reason for the decision, saying they have made it difficult to ensure the safety of diplomatic personnel.
Despite the partial withdrawal, South Korea will maintain necessary diplomatic communications with Ukraine through its charge d'affaires, while all consular personnel will remain in the country to continue efforts to protect South Korean nationals there, the ministry said.
In this file photo, South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun (R) and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha greet each other at a hotel in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026, ahead of the start of a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (2nd from R) and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (2nd from L). (Yonhap)
Earlier this month, the government recalled its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, in protest of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's public disclosure of the transfer, as well as a statement from his office denying that there had been an agreement to keep the matter confidential.
Seoul has demanded an official explanation and apology from Ukraine over the disclosure, but Kyiv has yet to formally respond to the demand.
"We had conveyed our position to Ukraine through various channels. But Ukraine had taken no positive steps despite those efforts," Park said, calling for "sincere and positive steps" in response to Seoul's previous requests.
Noting that the two countries remain in communication, the spokesperson said Seoul's goal was to "seek an amicable resolution through close consultations with the Ukrainian side."
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has said the two nations had agreed from the outset to keep the matter confidential to protect the soldiers and their families, who remain in North Korea. He also said Ukraine had initially requested that the matter not be made public.
Cho said he had personally received a message from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha that included an apology but fell short of Seoul's expectations.
The two soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region and arrived in South Korea in mid-September, according to officials here.
North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) captured by Ukrainian forces meet with a South Korean producer at a POW camp in Ukraine on Oct. 28, 2025, in this file photo released three days later by a Seoul-based group of North Korean defectors. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
The ministry said the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine will continue measures to ensure the safety of South Koreans in Ukraine by providing safety updates and offering assistance to those wishing to evacuate.
"We will coordinate with the embassy to find the safest and most effective means of assisting South Koreans who wish to evacuate," Park said.
Russian aerial attacks have continued across Ukraine. On Monday, Russia launched 16 ballistic missiles and more than 200 drones in overnight attacks, damaging energy infrastructure and leaving more than 500,000 households without power, according to foreign media reports.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
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