South Korea's ambassador to Ukraine Park Ki-chang returned home Saturday, called in by President Lee Jae Myung over Ukraine's disclosure that two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) who were captured alive in 2025 were now in South Korea. A country recalling an ambassador is one of the strongest diplomatic actions it can take, the others being the much more drastic steps of expelling the ambassador of a foreign nation or formally severing ties. The last time South Korea took such step was in 2008 when it recalled its ambassador to Japan over the Dokdo islet issue. It is regrettable that the ties between South Korea and Ukraine, which have thus far been characterized by cooperation — particularly during Ukraine’s four years of war following Russia’s invasion — are now under such strain. Seoul's frustrations stem from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskkyy sudden and unilateral disclosure during a speech at the United Nations that the North Korean POWs had been transferred to South Korea, a disclosure that caught Seoul off guard. In the ensuing weeks, Ukraine continued to deny t