The recall, announced on Thursday, is Seoul’s first protest recall of an ambassador in 18 years.
The last one came in July 2008, when it called home its envoy to Tokyo over Japanese textbook guidelines that laid claim to the Dokdo islets.
The dispute began on Sept. 23, when President Volodymyr Zelensky told the U.N. General Assembly that Ukraine had sent two North Korean soldiers, captured while fighting for Russia, to South Korea.
Seoul said the two sides had agreed to keep the transfer secret to shield the soldiers’ relatives in the North.
President Lee Jae Myung said on X the following day that Ukraine had breached that agreement. Kyiv flatly denied that any such deal existed, and Lee’s office demanded an explanation and a public apology. The two sides have since dug in.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun told lawmakers on Tuesday that a message from his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, had fallen short of Seoul’s expectations.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry later said the message expressed regret over the two countries’ public exchange of criticism and was not an apology.
Kyiv held its ground after the recall. “We are convinced that diplomacy must prevail over emotions,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said on Thursday.
He added that Ukraine remained open to restoring constructive dialogue, even if that takes time.
South Korea’s embassy in Kyiv remains open. The ministry said it would keep working to resolve the issue, and that Park would take part in consultations and in reviewing follow-up measures. “The government hopes that all outstanding issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably,” it said.
AJP Takeaways
- South Korea’s ambassador to Ukraine, Park Ki-chang, returned to Seoul on Oct. 10, 2026, after the government recalled him on Oct. 8.
- It was Seoul’s first protest recall of an ambassador since July 2008, when it recalled its envoy to Japan over a textbook claim to Dokdo.
- The row began when Zelensky disclosed the transfer of two North Korean POWs at the U.N. on Sept. 23, 2026. Seoul says this broke a confidentiality agreement, and Kyiv denies one existed.
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