Seoul: Republic of Korea said Thursday it will recall its ambassador to Ukraine in response to a deepening diplomatic row over the transfer of North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul.
The two countries have been at loggerheads since Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky last month disclosed the prisoner transfer, sparking anger in Seoul, which said it had placed their families in North Korea at risk.
The recall also comes days after a media report alleged more than 176,000 tonnes of fuel, mostly diesel, had been shipped from Republic of Korea to Russia in July and August, sparking accusations Seoul was helping alleviate Russian fuel shortages.
"The government has decided to recall its ambassador to Ukraine," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The government hopes that all outstanding issues between the two countries will be resolved amicably and will continue consultations with the Ukrainian side to that end."
Ukraine in response insisted that "diplomacy must prevail over emotions" in relations between the countries.
"Despite Seoul's decision to recall its ambassador, Ukraine remains open to restoring a constructive dialogue -- even if it takes time," Ukraine's foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy told reporters.
Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, North Korea has sent troops to support Moscow's war effort in return for economic benefits and military technology.
Republic of Korea's spy agency estimated last year that around 2,000 North Korean troops had been killed in the war, while a more recent assessment put the number killed or wounded at around 6,000.
Republic of Korea has so far not provided lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing a domestic ban on military aid to countries at war.
Seoul had already summoned Kyiv's ambassador and threatened unspecified "further measures". President Lee Jae Myung has demanded an official apology over the prisoner revelation.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga has called the incident a "diplomatic misunderstanding".
Fuel shipment allegations
A report in Britain's Guardian newspaper this week has threatened to deepen tensions, with allegations of fuel shipments to Russia coming as Ukraine has struck refineries deep inside Russia, while Moscow has launched intense missile attacks.
An adviser to Zelensky said this week that the alleged diesel shipments stood in "sharp contrast" to Republic of Korea's sanctions policies, remarks Seoul slammed as "factually incorrect" and "inappropriate".
Seoul has been part of a coalition of countries with enhanced export controls on Russia and its ally Belarus since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
But Republic of Korea's foreign ministry on Thursday issued a statement saying that even if the fuel had originated in Republic of Korea -- something it argued had not been established -- it would not breach the country's export ban.
"Refined petroleum products, including commercial diesel and aviation fuel, mentioned in The Guardian's report, are not subject to South Korea's export controls against Russia," it said, noting that overall exports to Moscow had more than halved since the war started.
