---
title: "South Korea Recalls Its Ambassador from Ukraine Amid Diplomatic Crisis"
description: "The South Korean government has announced the recall of its ambassador from Ukraine due to a diplomatic scandal surrounding the public disclosure of captured North Korean soldiers."
date: 2026-10-08T08:44:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/south-korea-recalls-ambassador-from-ukraine
tags: [south-korea, ukraine, north-korea, diplomacy, prisoners]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# South Korea Recalls Its Ambassador from Ukraine Amid Diplomatic Crisis

![Ministry of foreign affairs building and diplomatic flag](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/08/yuzhnaya-koreya-otzyvaet-posla-iz-ukrainy/yuzhnaya-koreya-otzyvaet-posla-iz-ukrainy-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- South Korea officially recalls its ambassador from Ukraine
- The reason is the scandal over the public disclosure of information about North Korean prisoners
- Seoul accuses Kyiv of breaching confidentiality, while the Ukrainian President's Office denies non-disclosure agreements

The South Korean government has officially decided to recall its ambassador from Ukraine amid a mounting diplomatic crisis. The catalyst for this drastic step is the incident involving the public disclosure of details regarding the transfer of captured North Korean soldiers, whom the Armed Forces of Ukraine seized during fighting in the Kursk sector back in January 2025.

### Background of the Conflict and the UN Address

The sharp dispute between Kyiv and Seoul entered the public sphere after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke at the UN General Assembly on September 23. In his speech, the head of state openly announced the transfer of two North Korean servicemen to the South Korean side.  This statement came as a complete surprise to official Seoul, which had expected strict confidentiality to be maintained.

### Contradictory Data

Regarding compliance with agreements, the parties' positions diverge drastically. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung accused the Ukrainian authorities of intentionally leaking classified information, emphasizing that secrecy was necessary to protect the safety of the prisoners themselves and their relatives remaining in North Korea. Meanwhile, sources in the Office of the President of Ukraine categorically denied the existence of any non-disclosure agreements, stating that Kyiv had not undertaken obligations to conceal the mere fact of the transfer without disclosing sensitive details.

### Seoul's Reaction and Future Outlook

Despite attempts by the Ukrainian side to resolve the incident, including official apologies, Seoul deemed these measures insufficient and threatened additional restrictive measures. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea emphasizes that the government continues to hope for a peaceful resolution of outstanding issues and intends to maintain consultative contacts with Ukrainian diplomats to overcome the crisis.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Южная Корея отзывает своего посла из Украины](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/pivdenna-koreya-vidklikae-svogo-posla-ukrayini-1791448532.html) - Сообщение об официальном решении МИД Южной Кореи об отзыве посла.
- [Украина принесла извинения Южной Корее в связи с инцидентом с пленными, но в Сеуле по-прежнему ...](https://ukranews.com/news/1179309-ukraina-prinesla-izvineniya-yuzhnoj-koree-v-svyazi-s-intsidentom-s-plennymi-no-v-seule-po-prezhnemu) - Информация о попытках урегулирования инцидента и принесении извинений.
- [Извинений мало: Южная Корея пригрозила Украине новыми мерами из-за пленных КНДР](https://tsn.ua/ru/politika/izvineniy-malo-yuzhnaya-koreya-prigrozila-ukraine-novymi-merami-iz-za-plennyh-kndr-3182351.html) - Детали жесткой реакции Сеула и угрозы дополнительных мер.
- [Южная Корея обвинила Украину в искажении фактов о поставках топлива в Россию](https://theotherukraine.info/2026/10/08/yuzhnaya-koreya-obvinila-ukrainu-v-iskazhenii-faktov-o-postavkah-topliva-v-rossiyu/) - Подтверждено по источнику theotherukraine.info

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why is South Korea recalling its ambassador from Ukraine?
**A:** The decision was made amid a diplomatic crisis triggered by Kyiv's public statement regarding the transfer of captured North Korean servicemen.

### Q: When and where were the North Korean soldiers captured?
**A:** North Korean servicemen were captured by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk sector in January 2025.