ⓒYONHAP News

South Korea and 140 other members of the United Nations voted for a resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine and demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian troops.

The UN General Assembly passed the resolution during a special emergency session on Wednesday, with approval from 141 countries. Five countries – Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria – voted against the resolution while 35 abstained.

The resolution said that the UN "deplores in the strongest terms" the aggression by Russia, demanding that Russia immediately cease its use of force against Ukraine and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces.

A resolution tabled before the General Assembly requires two-thirds support for it to be adopted.

Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they carry political significance in highlighting world opinion on issues being tabled.

On Thursday, the foreign ministry announced that the South Korean embassy in Kyiv has temporarily suspended operations, with remaining staff now evacuating to other safe areas as Russia expands its invasion efforts.

The foreign ministry said Ambassador Kim Hyung-tae and all remaining staff are moving to safe areas, along with six South Korean nationals who expressed a desire to evacuate.

The ministry explained that the decision comes as after heightened military threats in Kyiv rendered it impractical to continue operating and impossible to guarantee the safety of embassy staff.

Embassy operations will resume once the situation is stable in a safer area. Until then, urgent matters, such as visa-related issues, can be handled by South Korean embassies in nearby countries such as Poland, Romania and Hungary.

Temporary offices in Lviv and Chernivtsi will continue operations to support South Korean nationals in Ukraine.