South Korea and Ukraine are responding differently to the controversy surrounding the alleged breach of a secret agreement regarding the repatriation of North Korean soldiers. South Korea has taken a hardline approach, recalling its ambassador to Ukraine and deciding to withdraw some diplomatic staff, while Ukraine has refrained from making public comments. As the conflict drags on, negotiations to restore relations may face further difficulties.
According to diplomatic sources on the 21st, Ukraine has not issued any public statement regarding the South Korean government's recent decisions. This contrasts with earlier exchanges between President Lee Jae-myung and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on social media during the initial stages of the controversy.
Analysts suggest that Ukraine's silence may be influenced by a backlog of pressing issues. With U.S. President Donald Trump pressuring Ukraine for a resolution to the conflict, there are many urgent matters that require attention beyond the North Korean soldier controversy.
Previously, Do Jin-ho, a visiting research fellow at Kyungnam University's East Asian Institute, noted in a conversation with Aju Economy that Ukraine seems to lack the capacity to focus on this issue due to multiple overlapping situations. Additionally, there is a perspective that Ukraine has already considered the North Korean soldier issue resolved, leading to its restraint in further comments.
Concerns have also been raised about the potential deterioration of South Korea's diplomatic response capabilities in Ukraine. Park Du-sun, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated during a regular briefing the day before that diplomatic communication between the two countries would continue, led by Yoon Ji-wan, the charge d'affaires at the South Korean embassy in Ukraine. However, with half of the diplomatic staff preparing to return home and additional responsibilities for the evacuation of South Korean nationals, the workload is expected to increase significantly. The government explained that the decision to withdraw diplomatic staff from Ukraine was made with consideration for both the controversy over the North Korean soldier agreement and the safety of its citizens.
Meanwhile, the government's firm response has drawn criticism from the political arena. Jeong Jeom-sik, the floor leader of the ruling People Power Party, remarked on Facebook that President Lee has consistently responded emotionally, criticizing the administration for being excessively submissive to North Korea while adopting a confrontational stance toward Ukraine, a member of the Western world.
Na Kyung-won, a member of the People Power Party, also expressed her concerns on Facebook the day before, questioning whether South Korea is withdrawing after being slapped by North Korea and whether any European country would seek long-term security cooperation with a nation that engages in power struggles with a war-torn Ukraine.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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