While it has been confirmed that confidential US military documents on the war in Ukraine have been leaked on social media such as Twitter and Telegram, additional evidence of the US wiretapping its allies, including South Korea, is expected to have a negative impact on diplomatic relations.
Given that President Yoon Seok-yeol is about to visit the United States at the end of this month, it seems that a wave of repercussions is inevitable.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 8th (local time) that the United States has wiretaps its allies in relation to discussions on lethal weapons support to Ukraine, including South Korea.
In particular, it is said that among the documents, there are calls and messages from high-ranking Korean officials.
The New York Times said that among the confidential documents posted online, there are internal discussions in South Korea about whether to provide artillery shells for use in Ukraine in violation of the principle of not providing lethal weapons.
In particular, the newspaper added that in one part of the document, South Korean officials were concerned that US President Joe Biden would call and pressure President Yoon Seok-yeol to deliver the goods (weapons).
It is said that the leaked documents amount to a total of 100 pages.
The NYT reported that the document authored by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) specified the information source as a “signals intelligence report,” implying that the CIA had intercepted internal discussions of the Korean government. The term ‘signal intelligence report’ refers to the spy agency’s interception of communications, from phone calls to text messages.
This is a point that can be interpreted that the US has also grasped weapons support for Ukraine and South Korea’s trends.
The NYT said, “Leaked documents clearly show that the United States is espionage not only against Russia but also against its allies,” adding, “This could damage relations with key partners such as South Korea, which needs help to supply weapons to Ukraine. can,” he said.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.