Cho Hyun, South Korea's Foreign Minister, engaged in discussions with major European countries regarding the situation in Ukraine. The dialogue comes amid escalating tensions between South Korea and Ukraine, particularly following controversies surrounding the breach of a confidential agreement on the repatriation of North Korean prisoners.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cho participated in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in Atlanta, USA, from October 30 to 31, where he exchanged views on Ukraine-related issues with representatives from the European Union, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland.
South Korea has recently taken a firm stance, recalling its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Gi-chang, and withdrawing some diplomatic staff after Ukraine allegedly violated the agreement on the repatriation of North Korean prisoners.
As tensions have persisted for over a month, discussions about a potential diplomatic break have emerged. In a National Assembly hearing on October 27, Cho responded to a question from Song Seok-jun, a member of the ruling People Power Party, regarding whether the situation could be considered akin to a diplomatic rupture, stating, "If this escalates further, I think that possibility exists."
In response, Ukraine has sought to mitigate the situation. Heorhiy Tykh, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, reportedly stated that claims of a diplomatic break between the two countries are "not true."
Previously, three major European countries sent a letter to the South Korean government expressing hope for a resolution to the Ukraine crisis. Concerns have been raised that if the situation remains unresolved, it could have significant repercussions across Europe.
A Foreign Ministry official expressed hope that Ukraine would take responsible actions, noting that discussions on future development and bilateral cooperation could occur once the current issues are resolved.
Additionally, there are concerns that if South Korea continues to experience strained relations with Ukraine, it may be excluded from a reconstruction project valued at approximately $785 billion. The official acknowledged, "It is indeed a challenging situation at present."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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