NIS Denies Reports That U.S. North Korea Intelligence Sharing Is Limited to Missiles

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) on October 10 refuted media reports claiming that the U.S. intelligence shared with South Korea is limited to North Korean missile-related information, stating, "This is completely untrue."

In a press release that evening, the NIS responded to an SBS report titled, "U.S. North Korea Intelligence Sharing Limited to Missiles... Essentially Blocked."

The NIS explained, "In addition to certain information that has been confirmed by the government as restricted, there is active cooperation in various fields, including North Korean missiles, conventional forces, trends, international relations, cyber, and counterintelligence."

The agency also denied claims that the overall amount of U.S. intelligence on North Korea has decreased. The NIS emphasized, "Despite the aforementioned restrictions in specific areas, the total amount of intelligence provided by the U.S. has not diminished."

Furthermore, the NIS stated that intelligence sharing between South Korea and the U.S. is not one-sided. It noted, "Korea-U.S. intelligence sharing is conducted in a reciprocal and interactive manner across many fields."

The NIS labeled the report as 'fake news' and expressed strong regret. It urged some media outlets to stop disseminating misleading information that undermines national interests, stating, "We call on certain media to cease their competitive spread of 'take it or leave it' fake news that disrupts intelligence agencies."

Previously, SBS reported that due to restrictions on information sharing from the U.S., the intelligence South Korea receives is effectively limited to the missile sector, and that the overall scale of information provided by the U.S. has decreased.