The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has decided to temporarily repatriate the deputy head of its Ukraine office. This decision comes as the government has summoned its ambassador to Ukraine and ordered the withdrawal of some embassy staff amid controversy surrounding the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war.
According to Yonhap News Agency on October 22, KOICA held a safety committee meeting the previous day and approved the deputy head's temporary return.
A KOICA official stated, "The decision for temporary repatriation was made for safety reasons." The Kyiv office has been operating with two personnel: the head and the deputy. With the deputy's return, only head Lee Taek-geun will remain on-site.
Despite the reduction in local personnel, the aid budget for Ukraine is set to increase. The government has allocated 28.367 billion won for Ukraine-specific cooperation projects in its budget proposal for next year, which is approximately 3.3 times the 8.669 billion won allocated in this year's main budget. Key projects include the reconstruction of vocational schools, strengthening rehabilitation medical capabilities, and modernizing airports.
Concerns have been raised within the international development cooperation sector that the reduction of local staff at the embassy and KOICA may increase the burden of project management. There are also suggestions that schedules for projects requiring local consultations or on-site inspections may be delayed.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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