Ukraine and South Korea meet in Paris to fix diplomatic rift
Foreign ministers Andrii Sybiha and Cho Hyun will discuss the fallout from the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers.
By Matthew Collins ·
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is meeting with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun, in Paris on Tuesday. The in-person talks are designed to normalize relations between Kyiv and Seoul after months of diplomatic friction. The leaders are convening on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers summit currently taking place in the French capital.
The primary goal of the encounter is to restart bilateral dialogue and agree on concrete steps for future cooperation. Sources in diplomatic circles indicate that the meeting aims to overcome existing tensions that have strained the partnership between the two nations.
The dispute originated in 2025 when two North Korean soldiers were captured in Ukraine's Kursk Oblast while fighting alongside Russian forces. On September 23, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the United Nations General Assembly. He announced that Ukraine had handed the two prisoners of war over to South Korea.
Seoul reacted sharply to the disclosure. On September 24, President Lee Jae-myung accused Zelenskyy of revealing sensitive information and stated that prior agreements had been violated. The Office of the President in Kyiv responded that no formal non-disclosure agreements had been signed. Ukraine noted that the president only disclosed the fact of the handover without providing specific operational details.
Tensions escalated in October. On October 8, the South Korean Foreign Ministry recalled its ambassador to Ukraine, Park Hee-chang, citing the ongoing disagreement over information disclosure. On October 27, Cho Hyun announced the withdrawal of eight staff members from the South Korean embassy in Ukraine. Seoul attributed the move to Kyiv's failure to resolve the dispute. South Korea also summoned Ukraine's ambassador and warned of additional measures if Kyiv did not issue a public apology.
Sybiha is using his working visit to Paris for additional diplomatic engagements. He is expected to hold separate discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. He will also meet with the foreign ministers of other partner countries.
The meeting in Paris provides a pathway to de-escalation. Both sides hope to find a diplomatic solution that restores trust and allows for the continuation of strategic cooperation in the region.
