South Korea and Ukraine are in a standoff over the controversy surrounding the cancellation of a confidential agreement regarding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war. The South Korean government summoned Ambassador Park Ki-chang from Ukraine on October 10 as a diplomatic protest and decided on October 20 to withdraw some Ukrainian diplomatic staff. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has expressed concern that the ambassador's recall has worsened relations between the two countries, indicating that the current tensions are likely to persist for the foreseeable future.
During a regular briefing at the Foreign Ministry in Jongno-gu, Seoul, spokesperson Park Du-sun stated, "Even with the withdrawal, necessary diplomatic communication between the two countries will continue, led by the chargé d'affaires." He explained that this decision was not solely a reaction to the North Korean POW issue but also considered the safety of South Korean nationals amid the escalating Russia-Ukraine war.
The Foreign Ministry plans to resolve current issues through diplomatic communication channels between the two nations. While humanitarian aid to Ukraine will continue, the ministry maintains its stance that existing issues must be addressed. However, when asked by reporters whether a complete withdrawal could be considered if Ukraine does not apologize, a ministry official stated, "It is not yet at a stage to discuss that."
Du Jin-ho, a visiting research fellow at the East Asian Institute of Kyungnam University, assessed in a conversation with Aju Economy that Ukraine seems to be preoccupied with multiple pressing issues and may not have the capacity to focus on this matter. He also emphasized that the South Korean government is unlikely to back down easily on this issue.
He suggested that the upcoming G20 summit in Miami in December could provide an opportunity for reconciliation between South Korea and Ukraine. He noted, "The G20 is likely to be the next international diplomatic event where both Ukraine and South Korea will participate together," predicting that discussions during the summit or the preceding G20 foreign ministers' meeting could lead to a resolution of the issues at hand.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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