South Korea will withdraw additional embassy personnel from Ukraine, citing Kyiv's failure to provide a "constructive response" in a dispute over the handling of captured North Korean soldiers.
The announcement was made Tuesday by South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Park Doo-soon, who said Seoul had communicated its position through multiple channels but had not received a sufficient reply from Ukraine.
"This measure was taken because we judged it necessary to facilitate an amicable resolution of the issue and restore trust between the two countries," Park told a regular press briefing. He did not specify how many staff members would be withdrawn.
A charge d'affaires will remain in Kyiv to maintain diplomatic communication, along with all consular staff responsible for protecting South Korean nationals, Park said. He also cited persistent threats of air strikes across Ukraine as an additional factor making it difficult to ensure staff safety.
The dispute stems from a disclosure made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the United Nations General Assembly earlier this month, in which he revealed that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.
The announcement angered Seoul, which said the operation should have remained confidential in order to protect the soldiers' families in North Korea.
South Korea subsequently recalled its ambassador from Kyiv and summoned the Ukrainian ambassador, threatening unspecified "further measures" if the situation was not addressed.
Ukraine has insisted that "diplomacy must prevail over emotions" in relations between the two countries, and stated that Kyiv considered "the situation resolved."
South Korea's Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said earlier this month that Ukraine had sent a message that "included words of apology" over Zelenskyy's disclosure, but that it fell short of "the level" Seoul had in mind.
Under South Korea's constitution, all North Koreans are considered citizens of the Republic of Korea, and those who reach its territory and seek to defect are generally permitted to stay.
