South Korea to recall its ambassador to Ukraine over North Korean POW dispute

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea said Thursday that it would recall its ambassador to Ukraine, stepping up its protest against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent revelation of a supposedly secret transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea.

The South Korean announcement came days after President Lee Jae Myung threatened to take unspecified punitive steps if Ukraine refuses to apologize over the revelation.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry did not say when the ambassador, Park Ki-chang, will be brought back home. A ministry statement said that South Korea would continue consultations with Ukraine, adding that it hoped the dispute between the two countries would be resolved smoothly.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Ukraine remains open to “constructive dialogue” despite Seoul’s decision to recall its ambassador.

“Diplomacy must prevail over emotions,” he said, according to local media outlet RBC-Ukraine.

Russian strikes kill at least 21, wound 60 across Ukraine

South Korea and Ukraine became embroiled in a diplomatic dispute after Zelenskyy spoke about the transfer of the North Korean soldiers during his U.N. speech on Sept. 23. South Korea has accused Ukraine of violating a nondisclosure agreement on their transfer in mid-September, but Kyiv has denied…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/world