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President Lee Jae Myung shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of a South Korea-Ukraine summit in Ankara, Türkiye, on July 8 (local time). During the meeting, Lee outlined a comprehensive $100 million support package for Ukraine, while Zelenskyy expressed his expectations for the participation of the South Korean government and companies in postwar reconstruction projects. The two leaders also agreed to resolve the issue of North Korean prisoners of war in accordance with international law and humanitarian principles. Two prisoners were subsequently repatriated to South Korea in mid-September. / Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae

Amid a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Ukraine that has continued for more than a month over the disclosure of the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea, the Ukrainian government has officially denied the possibility of severing diplomatic ties with South Korea in an effort to prevent further deterioration in relations. The South Korean government is also seeking a diplomatic way out, saying it does not want the dispute to drag on.

Attention is focused particularly on the impact the diplomatic dispute could have on economic and security cooperation between the two countries, given that Ukraine has actively sought South Korean technology, investment and the participation of Korean companies in large-scale infrastructure restoration projects for postwar reconstruction. With cooperation underway to restore major infrastructure, including railways, housing and energy facilities, analysts say a prolonged dispute could place a burden on Ukraine's reconstruction projects and South Korean companies' expansion into the Ukrainian market.

Ukrainian news outlet RBC-Ukraine reported on Oct. 30 (local time) that Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, denied speculation about a rupture in diplomatic relations with South Korea during a briefing. Tykhyi said South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun's remarks at the National Assembly were a hypothetical response to a question about what might happen if tensions between the two countries continued to escalate, and that interpretations suggesting an actual break in diplomatic ties was under consideration were incorrect.

He explained that both countries were working to prevent further escalation of the diplomatic dispute, emphasizing that the South Korean government maintained its position of continuing broad support for Ukraine and participation in international efforts to end Russia's aggression.

At a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Oct. 27, Cho responded to a question about whether the diplomatic dispute between the two countries could deteriorate to the point of a near-severance of diplomatic relations by suggesting that such a possibility could arise if tensions continued to escalate.

The dispute was triggered on Sept. 23, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the repatriation of two North Korean prisoners of war to South Korea during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly. The South Korean government claimed that the two countries had agreed to keep the repatriation confidential to protect the safety of the prisoners and their families remaining in North Korea. However, Ukraine maintained that no such agreement existed, further intensifying diplomatic friction.

Ukraine's demand for economic cooperation in postwar reconstruction is also a factor behind the importance it places on relations with South Korea. In March, the Ukrainian government announced plans to establish a joint working group on reconstruction with South Korea and called for greater South Korean technology and investment, as well as increased participation by Korean companies in reconstruction projects. At the time, it said it was coordinating approximately 15 projects with South Korean support.

Zelenskyy also expressed hope during his summit with Lee in July that the South Korean government and companies would continue participating in reconstruction efforts. South Korea's humanitarian assistance and reconstruction cooperation therefore represent important economic interests for Ukraine.

However, no direct causal link has been established between Ukraine's denial of speculation about severing diplomatic ties and its desire to secure South Korean reconstruction assistance.

Cheong Wa Dae also said on Oct. 30 that the two countries were discussing an exit strategy to resolve the diplomatic dispute and that a prolonged conflict would be undesirable. The South Korean government plans to maintain its sanctions and export controls against Russia, as well as its policies supporting Ukraine, separately from the dispute.

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An infographic on cooperation in Ukraine's postwar reconstruction. With the restoration of railways, housing and energy facilities destroyed by Russian airstrikes urgently needed, Ukraine is seeking South Korean technology and investment, as well as the participation of Korean companies in reconstruction projects. / AI-generated image by Koo Pil-hyun

                                                                                                              Koo Pil-hyun