Ukrainian minister says ties with South Korea on the road to improvement after miscues

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha was quoted as saying on Tuesday that relations between his country ​and South Korea were on the road to recovery after a dispute ‌over North Korean prisoners of war, Reuters reported.

Sybiha said he had "a good meeting" with his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting of G7 countries and was pleased ​that relations were being put right.

In comments to national television, reported by ​Ukrainian media, he said he believed that "we now have in front ⁠of us the next series of actions for the final normalization of bilateral ​relations."

"We deserve an extremely dynamic and high-level bilateral relationship with South Korea," Sybiha told ​the television. "We had a really good conversation, during which we spoke frankly about those recent unpleasant events and facts that occurred."

South Korea's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that Cho expressed hope ​during the talks that all pending issues between the two countries would be ​resolved smoothly.

The ministry cited Cho as saying that Seoul would keep considering ways to provide humanitarian ‌aid ⁠for Ukraine and to support its reconstruction.

South Korea recalled its ambassador last month after President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the UN General Assembly that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to the South.

The disclosure breached an understanding to keep the transfer ​confidential so as to ​protect the soldiers ⁠and their families in the North, Seoul said.

Sybiha said after the dispute occurred that it had been rooted in differing interpretations ​of confidentiality arrangements, saying Ukraine had fulfilled all its obligations.

In ​his latest ⁠comments, Sybiha said Ukraine was grateful for past and future support from Seoul and backing for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

North Korea has sent an estimated 14,000 to 15,000 ⁠troops ​to support Russia's war in Ukraine since 2024, according ​to Ukrainian and South Korean estimates, with most deployed in the Kursk region to help repel a ​Ukrainian incursion.