Foreign Ministry Withdraws Some Staff from Embassy in Ukraine, Citing "No Constructive Steps" (Updated)

Amid a diplomatic dispute between the South Korean and Ukrainian governments over the disclosure of information about the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Oct. 20 that it had decided to withdraw some staff from the South Korean Embassy in Ukraine. The move follows the sudden recall of the ambassador to South Korea and marks an additional diplomatic measure.

At a regular briefing held that day at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' annex at the Government Complex Seoul, ministry spokesperson Park Dusun said, "Even after the government's decision to recall the ambassador to Ukraine, the Ukrainian side has taken no constructive measures. Given the persistent threat of airstrikes across Ukraine and the resulting difficulty of ensuring safety, among other factors, we have decided to withdraw some embassy staff."

She added, "Even after the withdrawal, the two countries will continue necessary diplomatic communications, led by the chargé d'affaires. All consular staff will remain in place and continue to make every effort to protect South Korean nationals abroad."

Asked whether the measure was a "diplomatic protest," she said, "We decided to take this measure because we judged that the Ukrainian side had taken no constructive steps despite the various circumstances."

She added, "Our fundamental goal is to seek a solution through amicable consultations between South Korea and Ukraine. We hope that, after the Ukrainian side takes sincere and constructive action on the matters we have been requesting, we can move on to discussing the development of bilateral relations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.