South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine over disclosure of North Korean POW transfer
publishers 40articles 56first reported 26 Sep, 11:10 UTCdeveloping since 30 Sep · 27 editions
South Korea said Thursday it would recall its ambassador to Ukraine amid a dispute over Kyiv’s disclosure that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to Seoul.
The soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting alongside Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk region and arrived in South Korea in mid-September, according to South Korean officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly revealed the transfer during an address to the U.N. General Assembly in September.
Seoul says Ukraine had agreed to keep the transfer confidential to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea. It has demanded an official explanation and apology from Kyiv and objected to a statement from Zelenskyy’s office denying that a confidentiality agreement existed.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he received a message from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha that included an apology but fell short of Seoul’s expectations. A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson subsequently characterized Sybiha’s message as an expression of regret over the dispute’s escalation.
“The government has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine to Seoul,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said. It added that Seoul hoped various issues would be resolved smoothly and that consultations with Ukraine would continue.
According to The Kyiv Independent, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry had not publicly responded to the recall announcement. South Korea previously summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador in Seoul to convey its concerns.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 4 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 192 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 40
- Source articles
- 56
- Given to the writer
- 8, 4 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 192 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: Two small but material phrasings should be tightened to match the sources and attribution. - "It added that Seoul hoped outstanding issues would be resolved smoothly and that consultations with Ukraine would continue.": The source quote says Seoul hoped "various issues" or "all pending issues" would be resolved smoothly, not specifically "outstanding issues." - "Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry had not publicly responded to the recall announcement.": Yonhap says the Ukrainian side had not issued any official message so far, while Kyiv Independent specifically says the Foreign Ministry had not yet responded; the phrasing is supported by one source, but needs attribution to avoid overstatement.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
South Korea recalls ambassador to Ukraine over disclosure of North Korean POW transfer
South Korea said Thursday it would recall its ambassador to Ukraine amid a dispute over Kyiv’s disclosure that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to Seoul.
The soldiers were captured in January 2025 while fighting alongside Russian forces in Russia’s Kursk region and arrived in South Korea in mid-September, according to South Korean officials. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly revealed the transfer during an address to the U.N. General Assembly in September.
Seoul says Ukraine had agreed to keep the transfer confidential to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea. It has demanded an official explanation and apology from Kyiv and objected to a statement from Zelenskyy’s office denying that a confidentiality agreement existed.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he received a message from Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha that included an apology but fell short of Seoul’s expectations. A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson subsequently characterized Sybiha’s message as an expression of regret over the dispute’s escalation.
“The government has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine to Seoul,” South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said. It added that Seoul hoped outstandingvarious issues would be resolved smoothly and that consultations with Ukraine would continue.
According to The Kyiv Independent, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry had not publicly responded to the recall announcement. South Korea previously summoned Ukraine’s acting ambassador in Seoul to convey its concerns.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →