Seoul:South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, returned home after being recalled following a dispute over Kyiv's disclosure of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) being transferred to Seoul, as stated by the foreign ministry.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the recall came in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's announcement of the transfer, which Kyiv later denied was covered by a confidentiality agreement with Seoul.

The two North Korean soldiers, captured in January 2025 while fighting for Russia in the Kursk region, arrived in South Korea in mid-September. Seoul claims a non-disclosure agreement was made at Ukraine's request to protect the soldiers and their families still in North Korea. Zelenskyy is accused of breaching this agreement during an address to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.

Kyiv has refuted the existence of such an agreement.

Recalling an ambassador as a form of protest is an uncommon practice for South Korea, with the last occurrence being in 2008 when the envoy to Japan was recalled. The foreign ministry expressed hope for resolving the issues between the two countries and mentioned ongoing consultations with Ukraine to achieve this.