South Korea is not cutting diplomatic ties with Ukraine, MFA says
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi (photo: Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi urged caution and called for an analysis of South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun's actual remarks. A break in diplomatic relations between the two countries is not being considered.
Diplomatic relations with South Korea
Tykhyi suggested first correcting what Ukrainian and foreign media had quoted as alleged preparations to break off relations.
"That is not true. In fact, I urge everyone to listen to the exact quote from the Korean minister when he was asked whether the situation could escalate to a level that would threaten diplomatic relations," the spokesperson clarified.
According to Tykhyi, Cho Hyun gave a hypothetical answer: perhaps a break in relations could happen if the situation continued to escalate. However, both sides are working to prevent further escalation.
"And for some reason, based on that answer—we know how our headline factory works—it somehow turned into a claim that he had suggested a break in diplomatic relations was possible?" Tykhyi asked.
He added that the South Korean foreign minister's statement meant exactly the opposite.
"I understand that, amid all these scandals, people may already be tempted to throw something else into the mix to make the fire burn brighter. There is no need to do that. I urge you to be cautious and analyze the actual statements people make," he said.
Tykhyi added that the key points emphasized by Cho Hyun were:
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South Korea's continued broad support for Ukraine
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South Korea's continued participation in international efforts to end Russia's aggression.
"So, if you look at them, the signals are actually much more neutral than what made its way into our media," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson noted.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he did not rule out a break in diplomatic relations with Ukraine if the current escalation of disagreements continued.
The diplomatic dispute between Kyiv and Seoul intensified after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at the UN General Assembly that two North Korean prisoners of war had been transferred to South Korea.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said that disclosing this information violated a confidentiality agreement.
