South Korea pulls Kyiv aid worker home amid rising security threats

The Korea International Cooperation Agency announced it will repatriate one of its two aid workers stationed in Kyiv, citing increased security concerns after a recent safety meeting. Russian drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian capital have escalated, prompting the agency to act. The decision was made without mentioning the parallel diplomatic dispute in which Seoul withdrew its ambassador after accusing Kyiv of violating a confidentiality agreement about two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia and later transferred to South Korea.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy revealed the transfer at the UN General Assembly, a disclosure Seoul said breached an understanding meant to protect the soldiers and their families. While one employee returns to South Korea, the other will continue operations in Kyiv. The repatriation highlights the difficulties foreign NGOs face in war zones and the strain in South Korea-Ukraine relations.