South Korea’s recall of Ukraine envoy raises stakes in diplomatic dispute

President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine. (Yonhap)

South Korea on Thursday decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine in a strong diplomatic move that could ultimately lead to a severing of diplomatic ties. 

Its decision came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unilaterally disclosed the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, violating an agreement to keep the matter confidential, and subsequently denied that any such agreement had even existed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the decision to recall Ambassador Park Ki-chang on Thursday.

“We hope that all outstanding issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably, and we will continue consultations with Ukraine toward that end,” an official said.

The move came six days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned on Oct. 2 that the government would take further action unless Ukraine issued a public apology.

Recalling an ambassador over a diplomatic dispute is a far stronger measure than expressing regret, lodging a protest or summoning the other country’s ambassador. This is the first time in 18 years that Seoul has decided to recall an ambassador. In 2008, it brought home then-ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul-hyun in 2008 to protest Japan’s territorial claims over Dokdo.

The government’s decision to take such a drastic step underscores the impasse with Ukraine, which has refused to reconsider its position.
In an address to the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 23, Zelenskyy unilaterally disclosed that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea. Lee immediately expressed regret about this violation of the two countries’ confidentiality agreement, calling the disclosure “disappointing,” but Ukraine denied that any such agreement had existed.

Rather than apologize, Ukraine further provoked South Korea on Sept. 27 when Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian presidential office, mentioned the recent explosion of a land mine in the Demilitarized Zone and warned that it is only a matter of time before severe armed conflict erupts between the two Koreas.

On Oct. 1, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha characterized the dispute as a “diplomatic misunderstanding,” prompting Lee to express his displeasure in a post on X the following day.

“My polite expression of disappointment apparently presented the other country’s head of state as a liar,” Lee quipped.

During a parliamentary audit before the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said, “I received a message from [Foreign Minister Sybiha] concerning an apology, but it fell somewhat short of what we had in mind.”

“We intend to take firm action,” Cho added.

That same day, an official from the Ukrainian presidential office further provoked Korea in a Facebook post citing a foreign media report that South Korea had supplied diesel fuel to Russia. The official said the reported shipment of fuel stood “in stark contrast to Korea’s sanctions policy toward Russia.”

South Korea’s decision to recall its ambassador is expected to sharply sour its relations with Ukraine.

With Ukraine receiving support from European countries in its ongoing war with Russia, the dispute could also have repercussions for South Korea’s relations with Europe.

Park Byung-hwan, the director of the Eurasia Strategy Institute, said Ukraine was also likely to retaliate and urged Seoul to respond calmly.

A Foreign Ministry official said Seoul would continue consultations with Kyiv and maintain its humanitarian assistance to the country.

By Jang Ye-ji, staff reporter; Kwon Hyuk-chul, staff reporter