Seoul to Pull Some Embassy Staff Amid Ukraine POW Dispute

WHO:

ABC News World - South Korea and its embassy staff in Kyiv are involved in the planned withdrawal.

IJR - Seoul and diplomats at its Kyiv embassy are involved in the planned withdrawal.

ABC News World - Ukraine announced the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war.

IJR - Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly announced the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war.

IJR - A South Korean ministry spokesperson said Ukraine had taken no constructive steps on the dispute.

WHAT:

ABC News World - South Korea said it would withdraw some staff from its embassy in Kyiv.

IJR - Seoul planned to withdraw about half of its diplomats from the Kyiv embassy.

ABC News World - The dispute concerns Ukraine’s announcement of a transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war.

IJR - The dispute concerns Zelenskyy’s public announcement of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war.

WHERE:

ABC News World - The embassy is in Kyiv, Ukraine.

IJR - The embassy is in Kyiv, Ukraine.

WHY:

ABC News World - South Korea said the announcement of the prisoners’ transfer was meant to be secret.

IJR - The planned withdrawal followed the dispute over the public announcement and Ukraine’s failure, according to a South Korean ministry spokesperson, to take constructive steps.

HOW:

IJR - Seoul planned to withdraw about half of the diplomats assigned to its Kyiv embassy.

(UPDATED October 21, 2026 00:39 UTC)

South Korea plans to withdraw about half of its diplomats from its embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, amid a dispute over the public announcement of two North Korean prisoners of war being transferred. Seoul said the transfer announcement was meant to remain secret. A South Korean ministry spokesperson said Ukraine had taken no constructive steps to address the dispute.