According to Yonhap News Agency on October 8th, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the Korean government had decided to recall Ambassador Park Ki-jang to Ukraine.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry stated: "We look forward to the resolution of all outstanding issues between the two countries and will continue to engage in consultations with Ukraine."
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Sang-hyun previously stated on the 6th that the Ukrainian apology regarding issues related to North Korean military prisoners did not meet the expectations of the South Korean government, and said that he is studying the possibility of recalling the ambassador stationed in Ukraine.
Ukraine's President Zelenskyy said during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 23 that Ukraine had recently sent two North Korean prisoners to South Korea. In response, South Korea's President Li De-ming posted a message on social media on September 24, stating that Ukraine had violated the confidentiality agreement reached between the two sides, which was regrettable.
But Ukrainian President Office officials refuted afterwards, claiming there was no agreement on confidentiality between the two parties.
Lee Jae-myung publicly criticized on October 2, saying, 'As the President of the Republic of Korea, I expressed my 'regret' out of courtesy, but the other party retracted their statement, claiming that no agreement had been made regarding confidentiality, which led a head of state to be labeled as a 'fraud'.'
Lee Jae-myung stated that the Korean side demanded the Ukrainian side to acknowledge the fact of the agreement between the two sides and apologize. Instead, the Ukrainian side claimed that 'military conflicts between South Korea and North Korea are imminent', seemingly hoping for a war on the Korean Peninsula. I feel deeply regretful about this. If the Ukrainian side continues to deny the facts and refuse to apologize, the Korean side will take further measures. This matter is related to the dignity of the citizens of the Republic of Korea and the country itself. The Korean side will not tolerate such behavior.
