# South Korea recalls ambassador over North Korean soldiers row

> Seoul pulls its envoy from Kyiv after Ukraine publicly revealed a secret transfer of captured North Korean troops.
- Title: South Korea recalls ambassador over North Korean soldiers row
- Summary: Seoul pulls its envoy from Kyiv after Ukraine publicly revealed a secret transfer of captured North Korean troops. South Korea recalled its ambassador to…
- Keywords: south korea, ukraine, north korea, prisoners of war, diplomatic dispute, volodymyr zelenskyy, lee jae myung, park hee-chang, news, politics, South, Korea
- Source: Abc — https://abc.net.au/news/2026-10-09/south-korea-recalls-ambassador-to-ukraine/107245422
- Published: 2026-10-08T13:14:26+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: south korea, ukraine, north korea, prisoners of war, diplomatic dispute, volodymyr zelenskyy, lee jae myung, park hee-chang, news, politics
## Seoul pulls ambassador over secret breach
South Korea's Foreign Ministry said it will recall Ambassador Park Hee-chang from Ukraine over a row about revealing two captured North Korean soldiers.
## Zelenskyy revealed secret transfer at UN
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer during a UN speech last month. Seoul says this breached a confidentiality agreement protecting the soldiers' safety.
## Ukraine denies any secrecy agreement existed
Kyiv denied ever agreeing to a non-disclosure deal on the transfer. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for an apology and threatened further action if Ukraine refused.
## North Korean soldiers sought refuge in Seoul
The two prisoners of war were among thousands of North Korean troops deployed to support Russia. Captured in early twenty twenty-five, they asked to resettle in South Korea to avoid persecution if sent home.
## Tensions deepen over fuel and defections
Ukraine also accused South Korea of helping Russia ease its fuel crisis. More than thirty percent of Russia's fuel imports in August came from South Korea, according to Ukraine's top sanctions official Vladyslav Vlasiuk.
## Key takeaway

South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine after President Zelenskyy publicly revealed a confidential transfer of two North Korean soldiers to Seoul, breaching what Seoul says was a non-disclosure agreement.