Key Summary
- South Korea and Ukraine held their first foreign ministers’ meeting since Seoul recalled its ambassador and some diplomatic staff.
- South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun met Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha in Paris on October 10 local time.
- Cho said mutual respect, trust, and faithful implementation of agreements are basic conditions for advancing bilateral ties.
- South Korea said it hopes outstanding issues between the two sides can be resolved smoothly.
- The meeting took place during the Group of Seven foreign ministers’ gathering.
Main Story
South Korea and Ukraine held their first direct foreign ministers’ talks since Seoul scaled back its diplomatic presence in Kyiv after a dispute over Ukraine’s public disclosure of a matter involving North Korean prisoners of war and travel to South Korea.
According to South Korea’s foreign ministry, Cho Hyun and Andriy Sybiha met in Paris on October 10 local time. Cho said that mutual respect, trust, and the faithful implementation of agreements are essential conditions for the development of bilateral relations. He also said he hoped the various pending issues between the two countries would be handled smoothly.
The ministry’s account suggests Seoul was pressing for steps including an apology and measures to prevent a repeat of the incident. Ukraine, however, did not take the level of action Seoul had sought. Even so, both sides appeared to signal that they want to avoid further deterioration in ties and look for ways to manage the dispute.
The meeting was held on the margins of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting. It was the first face-to-face ministerial contact after South Korea recalled its ambassador to Ukraine on November 8 last month and withdrew half of its diplomatic staff on November 20.
Cho also said South Korea has maintained its principled position on support for Ukraine and would continue reviewing ways to provide humanitarian assistance and reconstruction help for the Ukrainian people. Sybiha thanked South Korea for its support and said he hoped to continue close consultation with the international community, including South Korea, for peace in Ukraine.
The two ministers also exchanged views on the situation on the Korean Peninsula and developments surrounding the war in Ukraine. After the meeting, Sybiha wrote on X that he was confident there would be additional steps toward full normalization of the bilateral relationship, adding that this was the outcome both sides were working toward. He also said he reaffirmed Ukraine’s existing invitation for Cho to visit the country.
Background
The supplied text indicates that the diplomatic tension began after Ukraine publicly disclosed details related to North Korean prisoners of war and their transfer to South Korea, which Seoul said violated a confidential understanding. No additional background was provided in the source.
Items Requiring Further Verification
- The report says Seoul expected an apology and anti-recurrence measures, but the exact scope of those demands is not specified in the article.
- The claim that Ukraine did not take the level of action Seoul wanted is presented as an interpretation of the foreign ministry’s disclosure rather than a direct quoted statement from Ukraine.
- Sybiha’s post on X reflects his own public claim that further steps toward full normalization will follow; this is a forward-looking statement and cannot be verified from the meeting alone.
- The article says European countries supporting Ukraine are paying close attention to the issue, but it does not identify which countries or provide specific evidence.