S. Korea to partially withdraw diplomatic staff from Ukraine amid airstrike threat, diplomatic dispute

SEOUL - South Korea has decided to partially withdraw its diplomatic staff from Ukraine amid airstrike threats across Ukraine and diplomatic dispute between the two countries, the South Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Park Doo-soon, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told a press briefing that the government decided on a partial withdrawal of embassy personnel, considering that it was made difficult to ensure safety as airstrike threats persisted across Ukraine, while there had been no proactive measures from the Ukrainian side even after the recall of the South Korean ambassador.

Earlier this month, the foreign ministry announced that Seoul would recall its ambassador to Kyiv back to the home country, expressing hope for a smooth resolution to the various pending issues between the two countries.

South Korea escalated diplomatic response after the dispute over Ukraine's public disclosure of repatriating prisoners of war from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to South Korea.

Park noted that essential diplomatic communication between the two countries will be maintained under an acting ambassador, adding that all consular staff will remain in Ukraine to ensure the protection and safety of South Korean nationals residing in Ukraine.