South Korea to withdraw some staff from its embassy in Ukraine, foreign ministry says
In short
South Korea's foreign ministry said on 20 October that it will withdraw some staff from the South Korean embassy in Ukraine. The documents do not say how many staff are affected. China News Service placed the move after a dispute over two North Korean prisoners of war transferred to South Korea.
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South Korea's foreign ministry said on 20 October, local time, that it will withdraw some staff from the South Korean embassy in Ukraine. CLS, Jiemian, Yicai, Xinhua and China News Service all reported the announcement. Jiemian credited Xinhua. The documents do not say how many staff are affected. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
China News Service gave background on the dispute between Seoul and Kyiv. It said Ukrainian President Zelensky announced in late September that two North Korean prisoners of war had been handed over to South Korea. South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on 2 October that Ukraine had breached a confidentiality agreement between the two sides, and demanded an apology. The South Korean foreign ministry had earlier expressed "strong regret" and said Kyiv's unilateral action had "seriously undermined trust between the two governments". [ 5 ]
A Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson said on 7 October that the two sides understood the confidentiality arrangement differently, which led to a misunderstanding. On 8 October the South Korean foreign ministry said South Korea had decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine. The same day, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Ji Xi (季希) said Ukraine was willing to resume constructive dialogue with South Korea. [ 5 ]
Why it matters
The step follows a dispute between Seoul and Kyiv in which South Korea had already said it would recall its ambassador to Ukraine. The documents do not say how far the staff withdrawal will affect the embassy's work.
Key facts
- South Korea's foreign ministry said on 20 October that it will withdraw some staff from the South Korean embassy in Ukraine. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- Ukrainian President Zelensky announced in late September that two North Korean prisoners of war had been handed over to South Korea. [ 5 ]
- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said on 2 October that Ukraine had breached a confidentiality agreement between the two sides and demanded an apology from Ukraine. [ 5 ]
- On 8 October the South Korean foreign ministry said South Korea had decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- How many staff will be withdrawn and which posts they hold. None of the documents gives a number or details.
- Whether the staff withdrawal is a direct result of the dispute over the North Korean prisoners of war. China News Service gives the dispute as background, but the documents do not state the reason for the withdrawal.
- The two sides differ on how the confidentiality arrangement was understood. Lee Jae-myung said Ukraine breached the agreement, while a Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson said the two sides understood the confidentiality arrangement differently, which led to a misunderstanding.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CLS reported that South Korea's foreign ministry said it would withdraw some staff from the embassy in Ukraine. [ 1 ]
- Jiemian and Yicai published the same report. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Xinhua published a report under the headline that South Korea's foreign ministry would withdraw some embassy staff. [ 4 ]
- China News Service published the report with background on the dispute. [ 5 ]
- Xinhua published a report headlined that South Korea had decided to withdraw some staff from its embassy in Ukraine. [ 6 ]