--- title: "South Korea withdraws part of embassy staff from Ukraine amid North Korean POWs scandal" description: "South Korea's Foreign Ministry announced on October 20 the partial withdrawal of embassy personnel from Kyiv. Seoul links the decision to the lack of a constructive response from Ukraine regarding the North Korean prisoners and the threat of strikes in the country." date: 2026-10-20T07:33:49.174Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/south-korea-withdraws-embassy-staff-ukraine tags: [south-korea, ukraine, diplomacy, north-korea, prisoners, un-general-assembly, embassy] author: "Alexander Buran" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # South Korea withdraws part of embassy staff from Ukraine amid North Korean POWs scandal ## Key Points - South Korea's Foreign Ministry announced the partial withdrawal of embassy staff from Ukraine on October 20 - Reasons: lack of a constructive response from Kyiv regarding North Korean prisoners and the threat of territorial strikes - The scandal began after Zelenskyy's speech at the UN General Assembly on September 23 about the transfer of two North Korean POWs - Seoul claims a breach of the non-disclosure agreement, Kyiv denies such an agreement existed - The embassy will continue operating under the leadership of the chargé d'affaires The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea announced on Tuesday, October 20, the partial withdrawal of its embassy personnel in Kyiv. Ministry official spokesperson Park Doo-sun announced this at a briefing. According to him, the decision was made for two reasons: the lack of a 'constructive response' from Kyiv in the dispute over the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war and the ongoing threat of airstrikes, which complicates ensuring the safety of diplomatic personnel. The exact number of recalled employees was not disclosed. ### Diplomatic crisis: from recalling the ambassador to reducing the mission The current step is a continuation of the growing diplomatic conflict between the two countries. Several weeks earlier, Seoul had already recalled its ambassador from Ukraine. As Park Doo-sun noted, this step also did not receive a 'positive response' from Kyiv. Despite the staff reduction, the South Korean embassy in Kyiv will continue its work — necessary diplomatic contacts will be maintained under the leadership of the chargé d'affaires. Park Doo-sun emphasized that the measure is aimed at 'facilitating a friendly resolution of the issue and restoring trust between the two countries.' ### Roots of the conflict: Zelenskyy's speech at the UN General Assembly The dispute between Seoul and Kyiv began on September 23, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during a speech at the UN General Assembly, announced that Ukraine had transferred two North Korean soldiers who fought on Russia's side and were captured in the Kursk region to South Korea. Seoul stated that Kyiv violated the non-disclosure agreement regarding this information. The Office of the President of Ukraine, in turn, emphasized that no such agreement existed. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun subsequently stated that the apologies made by Ukraine 'did not meet Seoul's expectations.' ### Kyiv's position: 'the parties interpreted the agreements differently' Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi earlier explained the reason for the misunderstanding by the fact that the parties interpreted confidentiality agreements differently. According to him, it was not about violating a specific agreement, but about a difference in understanding the discussion format. Nevertheless, according to the South Korean agency, Seoul 'repeatedly conveyed its position to the Ukrainian side through various channels,' but a response deemed sufficient was never received. ### Security as an additional factor In addition to the diplomatic dispute, Park Doo-sun cited the constant threat of strikes on the territory of Ukraine, which makes the normal security provision for mission employees impossible. This argument essentially legitimizes the staff reduction from the perspective of security protocol and allows Seoul to present the step as a forced, rather than exclusively political, measure. ## Accounts differ ### Did a non-disclosure agreement regarding the transfer of North Korean prisoners exist - **Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea:** Kyiv violated the non-disclosure agreement regarding the transfer of North Korean prisoners ([rbc.ua](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/seul-vidklikae-chastinu-posolstva-ukrayini-1792481248.html)) - **Office of the President of Ukraine / Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine:** No such non-disclosure agreement existed; the parties interpreted confidentiality agreements differently ([strana.news](https://strana.news/news/513991-seul-otzyvaet-chast-sotrudnikov-posolstva-v-ukraine.html)) *Where they agree:* Both sides confirm that the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war took place and that on September 23 Zelenskyy publicly announced this at the UN General Assembly ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Сеул отзывает часть посольства в Украине после скандала с пленными](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/seul-vidklikae-chastinu-posolstva-ukrayini-1792481248.html) - Primary source: MFA ROK announcement on 20.10, reasons — lack of constructive response and threat of strikes. Earlier recall of ambassador. Spokesperson Park Doo-sun. - [Скандал между Украиной и Южной Кореей набирает обороты: Сеул идет на новые шаги](https://tsn.ua/ru/svit/skandal-mezhdu-ukrainoy-i-yuzhnoy-koreey-nabiraet-oboroty-seul-idet-na-novye-shagi-3194395.html) - Confirms the MFA announcement, Park Doo-sun's quote on a 'friendly resolution', continuation of embassy work. Does not disclose the number of recalled staff. - [Вслед за послом Южная Корея отзывает из Украины часть сотрудников своего представительства](https://strana.news/news/513991-seul-otzyvaet-chast-sotrudnikov-posolstva-v-ukraine.html) - Reference to Yonhap agency. Confirms both reasons, work under the chargé d'affaires, details of the scandal with Zelenskyy and apologies. - [Южная Корея отзывает часть сотрудников посольства на Украине](https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/9042594) - Confirms the MFA decision and Park Doo-sun's statement. ## FAQ ### How many diplomats is South Korea withdrawing from Ukraine? The exact number is not disclosed by either the South Korean Foreign Ministry or the Ukrainian side. Park Doo-sun did not specify how many employees would be recalled during the briefing. ### Will the South Korean embassy in Kyiv continue to operate? Yes. According to the South Korean Foreign Ministry, the embassy will continue its work, and diplomatic contacts will be maintained under the leadership of the chargé d'affaires. ### What is the essence of the dispute between Seoul and Kyiv? On September 23, Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at the UN General Assembly about the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea. Seoul stated that Kyiv violated a non-disclosure agreement. Ukraine denies the existence of such an agreement and explains the situation by differing interpretations of confidentiality. ### When was the South Korean ambassador recalled from Ukraine? The decision to recall the ambassador was made a few weeks before October 20, 2026. The exact date is not specified in the provided sources.