Concerns about rising tensions between South Korea and the United States, fueled by issues such as U.S. investments and the Coupang situation, have emerged from multiple government agencies. In response, the South Korean government acknowledged some misunderstandings with the U.S. while working to address the controversy.
On October 8, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) issued a statement regarding reports that it was excluded from a trilateral meeting in June in the U.S. aimed at addressing North Korean cyber threats at the request of the American side. The NIS stated, "There were some misunderstandings, but that is already in the past." It added, "Currently, there are no misunderstandings between the intelligence authorities of South Korea and the U.S., and the NIS is closely cooperating with the U.S. on all security matters, including cyber and North Korea issues." A Foreign Ministry official also told reporters that communication regarding North Korea's nuclear issues and policies continues between the two countries.
However, the NIS denied allegations that Director Lee Jong-seok's planned visit to the U.S. was canceled due to a refusal from the American side in March, as well as reports that NIS agents investigating Coupang were placed on a restricted entry list. Additionally, the NIS labeled as "fake news" reports that a CIA delegation's planned visit to South Korea last year to meet with Director Lee was canceled due to scheduling conflicts, emphasizing that there have been no instances where meetings with high-ranking officials from foreign intelligence agencies visiting South Korea have fallen through.
The NIS also refuted claims that it was thrown into disarray earlier this year when it became known that the U.S. had assessed the inclinations of South Korea's diplomatic and security lines, calling this information "fake news." The agency expressed dismay over some media outlets continuously reporting false information about the NIS and urged them to cease actions that could harm national interests.
Furthermore, it was noted that U.S. Ambassador Michelle Steel and Minister of Unification Jeong Dong-young have not yet had a formal introductory meeting. A Ministry of Unification official stated, "As far as I know, there have been no specific discussions regarding a meeting schedule between Minister Jeong and Ambassador Steel."
Ambassador Steel met with Foreign Minister Park Jin, Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang, and then-Defense Minister An Kyung-bae in August. On September 23, she also met with newly appointed Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol. There have been analyses suggesting that the U.S. expressed dissatisfaction after Minister Jeong publicly mentioned unconfirmed information about North Korea's nuclear facilities.
Meanwhile, the ruling People Power Party has intensified its criticism of the government following these reports. Lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun stated on Facebook, "We cannot take lightly the ongoing controversies surrounding cooperation between intelligence agency leaders and staff with the U.S. President Yoon must clarify the facts regarding the repeated suspicions surrounding Korea-U.S. intelligence cooperation and should decisively replace the diplomatic and security lines to restore alliance trust."
Lawmaker Na Kyung-won also urged, "The conflict between South Korea and the U.S. is expanding beyond security to encompass economic and defense issues. President Yoon should immediately dismiss Director Lee and Minister Jeong, who have created a critical gap in national security."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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