SEOUL, October 20. /TASS/. South Korea has decided to recall some of its diplomatic staff from Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry reported.
"Given that even after the recall of the ambassador, the Ukrainian side has taken no constructive measures, the government has decided to withdraw some staff from diplomatic missions due to security challenges amid threats of airstrikes across Ukraine," the Yonhap news agency quoted Foreign Ministry Spokesman Park Doo-soon as saying.
"It is planned that necessary communication through diplomatic channels will continue between the two countries, with the charge d’affaires playing a leading role," the diplomat noted. Park Doo-soon added that all staff members at consular offices and departments will continue to assist South Korean citizens.
The spokesman also responded to a question about whether withdrawing some diplomatic staff from Ukraine constitutes a form of protest. "Our government has already conveyed its position to the Ukrainian side through various channels. We took these measures because we believed that it [the Ukrainian side] had not taken any constructive steps even in this situation," Park Doo-soon emphasized.
On October 8, the South Korean Foreign Ministry announced that the government had decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine. At that time, the ministry expressed its willingness to continue consultations with Ukraine to resolve the issues in a constructive manner.