South Korea pulls embassy staff
South Korea is withdrawing additional embassy personnel from Ukraine after failing to resolve a dispute over the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war. Seoul recalled its ambassador earlier following the public disclosure of the confidential transfer.
South Korea will withdraw additional diplomatic personnel from Ukraine on Tuesday afternoon, citing an unresolved dispute over captured North Korean prisoners. The drawdown follows an earlier recall of Seoul's ambassador over a public disclosure of prisoner transfers. Bilateral trust remains strained after Kiev failed to address Seoul's concerns regarding the confidentiality breach, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Doo-soon.
### Dispute Stems From Prisoner Disclosure The diplomatic friction began after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to Seoul. South Korean officials said the disclosure violated an agreement to keep the transfer confidential to protect the soldiers and their families. Seoul subsequently recalled its ambassador this month and pressed Kiev for a response through multiple diplomatic channels.
