Seoul to maintain Ukraine support despite NK POW dispute

South Korea will continue supporting Ukraine “as a responsible member of the international community” despite a diplomatic dispute over the disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war being repatriated to the South, a foreign ministry official said Thursday.

The official said Seoul will treat its assistance to Ukraine separately from the dispute, while continuing bilateral consultations to resolve outstanding issues.

The remarks came after South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang was recalled to Seoul on Saturday, following a spat over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disclosure of the transfer during his U.N. General Assembly speech on Sept. 23.

The ambassador’s recall was one of several options Seoul considered after the disclosure, which it says breached a confidentiality arrangement intended to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea.

President Lee Jae Myung has demanded that Kyiv acknowledge the agreement and publicly apologize, warning of “additional measures” if it refuses. Kyiv has denied such an understanding existed.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry official also said three European countries have expressed hope that South Korea would continue supporting Ukraine and offered to help ease tensions between Seoul and Kyiv. The countries were not identified.

The exchanges took place during separate high-level contacts with each country, rather than through a coordinated approach by the European governments.

While the official said the messages did not constitute expressions of concern, they could reflect unease that Seoul’s recall of its ambassador might weaken international cooperation in supporting Ukraine against Russia.

The unusual disclosure of high-level diplomatic exchanges could also be seen as an effort by the ministry to reaffirm South Korea’s commitment to continued assistance.