South Korea will withdraw some of its embassy staff from Ukraine as a dispute over the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war deepens, CNA reports.
The foreign ministry said Seoul's earlier recall of its ambassador had drawn no positive response from Kyiv, and cited the continuing threat of air strikes across Ukraine as a reason for reducing staff. The row began when President Volodymyr Zelensky disclosed last month that North Korean prisoners had been transferred to Seoul, which South Korea says put their families in North Korea at risk.
President Lee Jae Myung has demanded an official apology, and Seoul has summoned Ukraine's ambassador. Ukraine has said diplomacy should prevail over emotions and that it regards the matter as resolved. Seoul's foreign minister said earlier this month that a Ukrainian message contained words of apology but fell short of what was expected.
Source: CNA
