Regarding the suspicion that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) wiretaped the South Korean government, Lee Jae-myeong, leader of the Democratic Party, said, “We will respond sternly while accurately confirming the objective details.”
Representative Lee said at the Democratic Party’s Supreme Council meeting on the 10th regarding the wiretapping suspicion, “Although not all details have been clearly revealed, it is actually a very serious problem.”
“The Republic of Korea is a sovereign country, and Korea and the United States are in an alliance relationship,” he said. “The core value of the alliance must be mutual respect.”
He lamented, “It is absurd that the presidential office of one country is breached by wiretapping, but it is difficult to understand from common sense that the office of the president of an ally is wiretapped.”
Floor leader Park Hong-geun also said, “If (the wiretapping suspicion) is true, it is a very serious problem for our national security in that the United States monitored the Korean diplomatic and security control tower and the presidential office one by one and grasped confidential information.”
“The Democratic Party makes strict demands on President Yoon and the government of the Republic of Korea. I hope that the U.S. government will immediately demand and grasp clear information on the authenticity of the report and the confidential documents, and clearly reveal a single point to the Korean people.”
He continued, “The President’s office must reveal to the public whether the recent resignation of the diplomatic and security lines, which is difficult to understand, is related to the wiretapping of the United States, and whether the circumstances of the wiretapping were not grasped at all before this report.” It is also questionable whether the visit to the United States can be carried out normally and how to secure the national interest in this way.”
According to a report by the New York Times (NYT) on the 8th (local time), about 100 classified documents containing the circumstances in which the US intelligence agency has been monitoring the movements of its allies, including South Korea, were leaked through social media. It is said that the leaked documents include a number of intelligence reports related to the war in Ukraine, including classified US weapons information provided to Ukraine and Russia’s operational plan, as well as daily intelligence reports from the Central Intelligence Agency containing trends in allies.
In particular, the New York Times reported that at least two of the documents contained evidence of wiretapping of statements by high-ranking officials in the presidential office regarding the U.S. request for arms support in Ukraine. One of these documents contained content that authorities seemed to be preparing a countermeasure for fear that President Joe Biden would press President Yoon Seok-yeol over the phone to support Ukraine.
It is known that the presidential office held a meeting presided over by National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong this morning to discuss countermeasures. It is said that President Yoon also ordered to take a good look at the matter after receiving a report on the related content.
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.