South Korea-Ukraine Relations Begin to Thaw After Paris Meeting
Foreign ministers seek to normalize ties after Seoul demanded an apology and recalled its ambassador over Ukraine’s disclosure of two North Korean prisoners.
- On Monday in Paris, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held their first meeting since a diplomatic rift, aiming to normalize relations following a dispute over North Korean prisoners of war.
- Tensions erupted after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed in a September 23 United Nations General Assembly speech that Ukraine transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, breaching what Seoul claimed was a confidentiality agreement.
- South Korea recalled Ambassador Park Ki-chang and withdrew some embassy personnel from Kyiv in October, citing the lack of an apology and persistent safety concerns amid Russian airstrikes.
- Sybiha described the Monday talks as "a good meeting," while Cho Hyun emphasized that mutual trust remains essential for bilateral relations; South Korea maintains its $100 million humanitarian aid commitment.
- Both nations navigate growing military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, with estimates suggesting North Korea has sent 14,000 to 15,000 troops to support Russia's war in Ukraine since 2024.
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The first meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries took place since South Korea withdrew its ambassador and some diplomatic staff, demanding an apology over Ukraine's disclosure of the "transfer of North Korean POWs to South Korea." On the 10th (local time), Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sviha in Paris, France, and [mentioned] "mutual respect and new
S. Korean FM stresses bilateral trust as he discusses NK POW issue with Ukraine counterpart
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun stressed mutual respect and trust as basis for bilateral relations during his talks with Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, the Korean foreign ministry said, Tuesday. It was their first meeting since a rift has deepened between the two countries over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's September disclosure of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea. Their discussion took place on …
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sviha and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks in Paris and discussed bilateral security cooperation and reconstruction support measures. In particular, they agreed to jointly respond to threats arising from North Korea's deployment of troops to Russia and to continue South Korea's humanitarian assistance and participation in reconstruction projects.
After talks in Paris with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Kyiv seeks to further normalize bilateral relations with Seoul.
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