Senior Official: "No Evidence of Wiretapping... Cybersecurity Cooperation Document to Be Announced at Talks"

Korean Official: "US Said It Has Burdened the Alliance"
Cybersecurity Cooperation Document Includes Information Sharing, Production, and Analysis Implementation
A Clear Picture of ROK-US Extended Deterrence That Resonates with Both Nations Will Be Shown

On the 13th (local time), the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) arrested the operator of an online chat service where confidential U.S. government documents were first leaked. In response, our government reiterated its position regarding allegations of U.S. wiretapping on the National Security Office, stating that "there is no evidence to confirm that wiretapping occurred."

Speaking to reporters at the Washington D.C. Embassy, the official said, "So far, we consider that there has been no malicious behavior (by the U.S.)."

Regarding the document leak scandal, the official explained, "The U.S. counterpart I met appeared very embarrassed and apologetic even before I brought up the issue. They expressed their intention to share information intermittently to the best of their ability and sincerely hoped there would be no misunderstandings, feeling as if they had committed a serious mistake as an ally." He added, "Since evaluations and actions can only be taken after the investigation is complete, I have expressed my gratitude for the U.S. side's statement for now."

In response to criticism that the FBI's arrest of a National Guard soldier suspected of leaking confidential documents undermines the 'document forgery theory' announced by the South Korean and U.S. governments, the official emphasized, "I believe many aspects require time and are processes the U.S. must uncover. Although the portion related to the South Korea-U.S. relationship is not large, there are many factual discrepancies, and given the time elapsed, it is unrelated to the current South Korea-U.S. relationship." He continued, "The trust between South Korea and the U.S. is firmly functioning in terms of current information sharing and preparations for the (South Korea-U.S.) summit."

He particularly explained again, "From our perspective, any country has the potential to conduct intelligence activities against us. We cannot guarantee that we do not conduct such activities against anyone. According to the South Korean government's judgment so far, there is no evidence to confirm that the U.S. wiretapped us," adding, "We consider that there has been no malicious behavior to date."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

When asked whether this was the South Korean government's judgment or the U.S. explanation, he said, "The U.S. will provide a clear explanation after the investigation is complete. We are still conducting the investigation, but so far, nothing has been confirmed as the U.S.'s action."

In response to the question, "Does the U.S. being embarrassed first mean they admit to wiretapping?" he explained, "Regardless of the facts, there are many misunderstandings that could damage the alliance. In a situation where we must prepare for a successful summit, they have invited our president as a state guest, but there is a critical atmosphere in South Korea, which makes the U.S. embarrassed. They have not confirmed the details related to the documents either."

Regarding the agenda of the South Korea-U.S. summit, he stated, "A separate document on cybersecurity cooperation will be announced as a result of the summit." It will include measures to rebuild trust in terms of information sharing, production, analysis, utilization, and implementation. The official introduced, "While the South Korea-U.S. alliance is celebrating its 70th anniversary, it is true that the geographical scope of the Mutual Defense Treaty was limited to the land just before the Korean War. We are discussing with the U.S. the recognition that the geographical and spatial scope of the Mutual Defense Treaty should be expanded to space and cyberspace." He also added regarding the 'Five Eyes' (FVEY) intelligence-sharing network among the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, "Five Eyes consists of English-speaking countries with potentially different cultures, and we do not believe that expanding the number of countries in Five Eyes is necessary for information cooperation."

On the possibility of discussing ammunition support for Ukraine at the summit, he said, "Since we have a special relationship with the U.S., ammunition needed by the U.S. can be exchanged within the framework of the South Korea-U.S. relationship," but firmly stated, "It probably does not need to be an agenda item at the summit." This implies that since South Korea and the U.S. have been deciding and taking necessary measures as needed over the past few months, it is not a new topic to be raised at the summit.

Regarding discussions on North Korea's nuclear issue at the summit, he said, "We want to present a comprehensive picture of South Korea-U.S. extended deterrence that resonates with the people of both countries," adding, "We will make efforts before the summit." On whether the South Korea-U.S. nuclear agreement will be revised, he said, "It was revised during the Park Geun-hye administration and usually has a 40-year validity. Revising it now does not make logical sense." He also mentioned that the focus is on resolving the ongoing lawsuit between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the U.S. nuclear power company Westinghouse.

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