S. Korea to recall envoy to Ukraine

South Korea will recall its ambassador to Ukraine, the foreign ministry said Thursday, amid a diplomatic dispute over Kyiv's disclosure of the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to Seoul, Report informs via Yonhap.

The Seoul government has demanded an official explanation and apology over Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's disclosure of the transfer of the two North Korean soldiers to Seoul, as well as a statement from his office denying that there had been an agreement to keep the matter confidential.

"The government has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine to Seoul," the ministry said in a release.

"We hope that various issues between the two countries will be resolved smoothly, and we will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to that end," it added.

The ministry did not elaborate further on the decision to recall Ambassador Park Hee-chang, though a senior official said the government has taken the issue seriously.