'The US Eavesdropping Mystery' How Did the Korean Government Respond During Snowden...

US Faces Illegal Eavesdropping Controversy with Allies Including Korea
'Snowden Revelations' Show Only US Fundamental Stance
Political Circles Call for "Strong Response"

As allegations have arisen that the U.S. government wiretapped its allies, including South Korea, past cases have come under scrutiny. The U.S. was embroiled in an illegal wiretapping controversy in 2013 as well. At that time, during the Park Geun-hye administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested the U.S. government to confirm whether the South Korean president was targeted for wiretapping, but the U.S. side only gave a general response, saying they "understand South Korea's position."

Foreign media such as The New York Times (NYT) and The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 8th (local time) that classified U.S. military documents related to the Ukraine war were leaked on social media (SNS), revealing that the U.S. had been wiretapping its allies. The documents are presumed to have been compiled by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff from reports by government intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research.

According to the reports, the 100-page document contains discussions between former National Security Office Chief Kim Seong-han and Foreign Affairs Secretary Lee Moon-hee about whether South Korea would provide weapons to Ukraine, breaking the existing principle that the Korean government does not supply lethal weapons.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden are having a conversation after concluding the 7th Global Fund Replenishment Conference held last September at a building in New York, USA. Photo by Yonhap News

In response to these reports, the Presidential Office stated on the 9th, "We plan to hold necessary consultations with the U.S. side regarding the raised issues," adding, "We will review past precedents and cases from other countries to consider countermeasures."

Criticism of the Presidential Office's response continued in the political sphere. Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min said on his Facebook on the 9th, "Don't they already know all about past precedents and other countries' cases?" He added, "It's pathetic and utterly servile. What kind of consultations are they talking about when they should be protesting strongly?" He further stated, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration must immediately lodge a strong protest with the U.S. government and demand measures to prevent recurrence."

Kim Byung-joo, a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee from the Democratic Party, also pointed out on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 10th, "Since this is a violation of sovereignty, we must strongly protest to the U.S., analyze the causes, and demand measures to prevent recurrence."

On the same day, former Justice Party lawmaker Kim Jong-dae raised his voice on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' saying, "It is inappropriate diplomatically and from the perspective of our sovereignty to take a stance as if we understand the situation first."

This is not the first time the U.S. government has been embroiled in illegal wiretapping controversies. In 2013, former CIA agent Edward Snowden revealed that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had spied not only on hostile countries but also on U.S. embassies of other allied countries including South Korea, France, Brazil, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and India.

According to NSA documents obtained by the British Guardian from Snowden, the NSA designated 38 embassies in Washington D.C. as "targets" and indiscriminately collected information through wiretapping and cyberattacks. A document written in 2007 stated the purpose as "spying on the European Union (EU) embassy in Washington D.C. to detect policy disagreements and discord among EU member states."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is holding a BlackBerry mobile phone at a booth at the CeBIT electronics fair in northern Hanover in 2013. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Photo by AP Yonhap News.

At the time, the European Union (EU) demanded an explanation from U.S. authorities regarding the U.S. wiretapping allegations. Martin Schulz, then President of the European Parliament, criticized, "Is this the cornerstone of a constructive relationship based on mutual trust?" and said, "If true, it is a huge shock. It is like treating Europe as an enemy and threatening it."

Angela Merkel, then Chancellor of Germany, who was mentioned as a wiretapping target, called U.S. President Barack Obama directly and strongly protested, saying, "It is unacceptable to eavesdrop on conversations of the highest leaders of longtime allied countries." In protest, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff canceled her state visit to the U.S.

Due to the wiretapping scandal, the U.S.-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), faced a crisis of collapse. At the time, the French government demanded an explanation from the U.S. government, stating that the spying activities of U.S. intelligence agencies were unacceptable. Former President Fran?ois Hollande pressured the U.S. to suspend negotiations until the allegations were clearly clarified.

Subsequently, both sides agreed to resume FTA negotiations, but after opposition from some EU countries, a separate expert meeting was held to address the U.S. wiretapping issue alongside the two main issues simultaneously.

Former Foreign Minister Yoon Byung-se attended the confirmation hearing of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on October 31, 2013, and regarding the U.S. government's wiretapping scandal, stated, "We will respond strictly and clearly according to the nature of the issue as specific matters are revealed." The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article.

During the Snowden incident, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it planned to take appropriate measures and was closely consulting through diplomatic channels between South Korea and the U.S. It also officially stated that it was closely monitoring the situation.

Later, in October 2013, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially requested the U.S. side to confirm whether the South Korean president had been wiretapped. However, the U.S. responded to South Korea's inquiry with a general answer, saying, "We understand your position." As a result, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was criticized for failing to obtain relevant explanations or appropriate measures from the U.S.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.