The South Korean Foreign Ministry announced the recall without specifying when the ambassador would return, stating it would continue negotiations with Kyiv and hoped to resolve the current issues. The move comes days after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called for an apology over the incident and threatened further steps if Ukraine refused.
The two prisoners of war, captured in early 2025, were among thousands of North Korean troops deployed to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. They requested resettlement in South Korea, which has a policy of accepting North Korean defectors. South Korea acknowledged the confidentiality agreement was intended to protect the safety of the soldiers and their relatives, though experts suggest Seoul may also be concerned about the impact on inter-Korean relations.
Ukraine has denied agreeing to any non-disclosure deal. Separately, Ukraine's top sanctions official, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, accused South Korea of helping Russia ease its fuel crisis, noting that over 30% of Russia's fuel imports in August came from South Korea.
South Korea has provided more than $640 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since 2022, with an additional $143 million pledged in July. North Korean state media has not commented on the soldiers' transfer, though Pyongyang has previously reacted angrily to major defections.