The foreign ministers of South Korea and Ukraine have discussed how to restore ties after Kiev disclosed that it had transferred two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul.
South Korea’s Cho Hyun and Ukraine’s Andrii Sybiha met on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting in Paris, Yonhap News Agency reported on Wednesday.
It was their first face-to-face meeting since the dispute began in September.
"While Minister Cho stressed mutual respect and trust, and the faithful implementation of bilateral agreements as basic prerequisites for the development of relations between the two countries, he expressed hope that pending issues between the countries will be smoothly resolved," Yonhap quoted South Korea's Foreign Ministry as saying.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun appeared to be referring to the dispute over the prisoners, with Seoul calling for an apology and measures to prevent a recurrence.
Cho said Seoul would continue to explore ways to provide humanitarian aid and support Ukraine's reconstruction.
‘Dynamic and pragmatic’ partnership
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called for joint diplomatic efforts to keep bilateral relations stable and strengthen them, according to the ministry.
In a post on X, Sybiha said further steps lay ahead towards the "full normalisation" of ties and reaffirmed Kiev's willingness to develop a "dynamic and pragmatic" partnership with Seoul.
He thanked South Korea for supporting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and renewed his invitation for Cho to visit Ukraine.
The ministers also discussed regional issues, including the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Relations between the countries deteriorated after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed the transfer during an address to the UN General Assembly in September.
The disclosure prompted Seoul to recall its ambassador to Ukraine and withdraw about half of its embassy staff last month.
