South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang Returns Home This Morning, Two Days After Recall Decision

Amid an ongoing diplomatic rift with Ukraine over the public disclosure of the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, South Korean Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang returned home this morning (October 10).

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated this morning, "Ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang returned to the country this morning."

This comes two days after the government announced on October 8 its decision to recall Ambassador Park.

Earlier, the South Korean government had demanded an official explanation and apology after Ukraine disclosed the repatriation of North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, but decided to recall the ambassador after failing to receive a response that met its expectations.

In response, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on October 8, local time, that "diplomacy must take precedence over emotion" and that "dialogue remains open to restore constructive relations."

Kyiv also stated that it had invited Ambassador Park to the Ukrainian foreign ministry to seek solutions, but did not offer the direct explanation or public apology demanded by the South Korean government.

In this regard, the South Korean foreign ministry stated yesterday, "We will continue efforts to manage and resolve pending issues between South Korea and Ukraine, and the returned ambassador to Ukraine will also actively participate in relevant consultations and the review of follow-up measures."

It added, "We hope that the Ukrainian side will also respond to our diplomatic efforts," repeatedly urging cooperation from Ukraine.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.