South Korea to Withdraw Some Embassy Staff From Ukraine Amid POW Dispute
Seoul will reduce diplomatic staffing in Ukraine as a dispute over the disclosure of two North Korean prisoners’ transfer deepens, while retaining consular personnel and essential diplomatic channels.
South Korea will withdraw some diplomatic personnel from Ukraine, citing both an unresolved dispute over the public disclosure of two North Korean prisoners of war transferred to Seoul and continuing security risks from Russian air attacks, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon said Ukraine had not taken positive steps to settle the disagreement despite Seoul communicating its position through multiple channels. The ministry did not disclose how many employees would leave or provide a timetable for the reduction.
The move does not amount to a full closure of South Korea’s diplomatic mission. Seoul plans to maintain essential communications with Kyiv through its chargé d’affaires, while all consular personnel will remain in Ukraine. The ministry said the embassy would continue to issue security updates, protect South Korean nationals and assist those who want to evacuate.
The staffing decision deepens a diplomatic rift that emerged after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean soldiers to South Korea. Seoul says the two governments had agreed to keep the matter confidential to protect the soldiers and their relatives in North Korea.
South Korea recalled Ambassador Park Ki-chang earlier this month in protest over the disclosure and over a subsequent statement from Zelenskyy’s office denying that a confidentiality agreement existed. Seoul has requested an official explanation and apology. According to the ministry, Kyiv has not formally met those demands.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun has said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha sent him a personal message that included an apology, but Seoul considered it insufficient. Park said the two governments remain in contact and that South Korea still seeks an amicable resolution through close consultations.
The soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region and arrived in South Korea in mid-September, according to South Korean officials. Their transfer carried unusual diplomatic and security sensitivities because their families remain in North Korea.
Security conditions in Ukraine also figured in the withdrawal decision. The ministry pointed to persistent Russian aerial attacks that have complicated efforts to protect diplomatic staff. Russian forces launched 16 ballistic missiles and more than 200 drones in overnight attacks Monday, damaging energy infrastructure and leaving more than 500,000 households without electricity, according to reports cited by the source.
The partial withdrawal therefore combines a diplomatic signal with a security precaution. Seoul is reducing its official presence while keeping channels open to Kyiv and preserving the consular capacity needed to support South Koreans still in the country.