South Korea draws down diplomatic staff from Ukraine amid prisoner transfer dispute

South Korea has decided to withdraw some diplomatic staff from its embassy in Ukraine amid a dispute over the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers, local media reported Tuesday.

The decision followed the Oct. 8 recall of South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang, according to The Chosun Daily.

The diplomatic dispute began after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed during his Sept. 23 address to the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea.

Seoul accused Kyiv of violating a confidentiality agreement intended to prevent disclosure of the transfer and protect the prisoners and their families in North Korea.

Ukrainian officials, however, denied that such an agreement existed, a claim disputed by South Korea.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Du-sun said Tuesday that the withdrawal was prompted by persistent airstrike threats across Ukraine.

"The government decided to withdraw some diplomatic staff, considering the persistent threat of airstrikes across Ukraine and the difficulty in ensuring safety, despite the absence of proactive measures from Ukraine even after the recall of the ambassador to Ukraine," Park told reporters in Seoul.

He said diplomatic communication would continue through the acting ambassador, while all consular staff would remain to "ensure the protection of citizens abroad."

North Korea deployed thousands of troops to support Russia's war against Ukraine, according to South Korean and Western intelligence assessments.