S. Korea repatriates aid worker from Ukraine over safety

The Korea International Cooperation Agency decided to repatriate one of its two staff members from Kyiv on safety grounds, Yonhap reported on Thursday. The decision followed a safety meeting as the Ukrainian capital faced increasingly heavy Russian drone and missile attacks. The other staff member will remain in Kyiv. The move comes amid a diplomatic dispute between South Korea and Ukraine over the disclosure of two captured North Korean soldiers transferred to South Korea.

Yonhap cited an agency official who did not mention the dispute over the prisoners of war when discussing the repatriation decision.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the UN General Assembly in September that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to South Korea after they were captured while fighting for Russia.

Seoul said the disclosure breached an understanding to keep the transfer confidential to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea.

South Korea withdrew its ambassador to Ukraine this month over the dispute.

Published Oct 23, 2026 12:37 am KST

Rescue workers pass a stretcher before extracting an injured man from a residential building destroyed by a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Oct. 14. AP-Yonhap

South Korea's international aid agency has decided to bring back one of its two staff members from its office in Ukraine's capital on safety grounds, the Yonhap news agency reported on Thursday.

Kyiv has come under increasingly heavy Russian drone and missile attacks in recent weeks, more than 4-1/2 years after Moscow's invasion of its neighbour.

South Korea has also been caught up in a diplomatic dispute with Ukraine and withdrew its ambassador this month after accusing Kyiv of breaching a confidentiality agreement over the transfer of two captured North Korean soldiers to the South.

The decision by the Korea International Cooperation Agency to repatriate the aid agency staff member was made after a safety meeting, Yonhap said in its report.

It cited an official from the agency who did not mention the dispute over the prisoners of war. The other staff member would stay in Kyiv, it added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the UN General Assembly in September that Ukraine had transferred two captured North Korean soldiers to the South.

He said the men had been sent there after being captured while fighting for Russia.

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

据韩联社周四报道，韩国国际合作机构出于安全考虑，决定从基辅撤回其两名工作人员中的一人。此前，由于乌克兰首都基辅面临日益频繁的俄罗斯无人机和导弹袭击，该机构召开了安全会议，并做出了上述决定。另一名工作人员将继续留在基辅。与此同时，韩国和乌克兰之间正因两名被俘朝鲜士兵被移交给韩国一事而陷入外交争端。

韩联社援引一位机构官员的话称，该官员在讨论遣返决定时并未提及有关战俘的争议。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基9月在联合国大会上表示，乌克兰已将两名在为俄罗斯作战时被俘的朝鲜士兵移交给韩国。

首尔方面表示，此次泄露违反了双方为保护朝鲜士兵及其家属而对此次移交保密所达成的谅解。

本月，韩国因这场争端召回了驻乌克兰大使。

发布于2026年10月23日凌晨12:37（韩国标准时间）

10月14日，在乌克兰扎波罗热，救援人员将一名受伤男子从被俄罗斯空袭摧毁的居民楼中抬出，他们手中的担架在运送过程中传递。（美联社-韩联社）

据韩联社周四报道，韩国国际援助机构出于安全考虑，决定将其在乌克兰首都办事处的两名工作人员中的一人撤回。

在莫斯科入侵其邻国 4 年半多之后，基辅最近几周遭受了越来越猛烈的俄罗斯无人机和导弹袭击。

韩国也卷入了与乌克兰的外交争端，本月早些时候，韩国指责基辅违反了将两名被俘的朝鲜士兵移交给韩国的保密协议，并召回了驻乌克兰大使。

韩联社报道称，韩国国际合作机构在召开安全会议后决定遣返这名援助机构工作人员。

报道援引该机构一位官员的话，但这位官员并未提及有关战俘的争议。报道还补充说，另一名工作人员将留在基辅。

乌克兰总统泽连斯基9月在联合国大会上表示，乌克兰已将两名被俘的朝鲜士兵移交给韩国。

他说，这些人是在为俄罗斯作战时被俘后被送往那里的。

首尔方面表示，此次泄露违反了双方为保护朝鲜士兵及其家属而达成的保密协议。