It was reported on the 12th that the President’s office had established a policy that the South Korean government would not first raise the matter as a diplomatic issue regarding the allegations of wiretapping by US intelligence agencies. As South Korea and the U.S. agreed on the allegations of wiretapping that “there are forces behind it, and many of the (leaked documents) were forged,” the intention is that they will not demand an official apology from the U.S. or demand a fact-finding, as the opposition parties claim.
An official from the presidential office said on the 12th, “The previous day, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin first proposed a phone call to our side, and as we agree that many of the leaked documents were fabricated, the controversy is coming to an end.” “I have no plans to ask for an apology,” he said. It is also known that the attitude of the President’s office was also affected by the fact that the affected countries, such as France and Israel, took a strategy of ignoring the contents of the (leaked) document, claiming that it was not true.
Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo of the National Security Office, who visited the United States, met with reporters on the 11th (local time) and said, “Currently, a third party is involved in many parts of this issue, and there is no evidence that the United States, our ally, has any malicious intent against us. ”he said. Deputy Director Kim asked, “Do you mean that the conversation on confidential documents related to former National Security Office Director Kim Seong-han was manipulated?” Yesterday I said (words) in one word, and everything is implied in it.” The previous day, Deputy Director Kim said, “I have nothing to say (to convey the position to the US side)” and “Because someone faked it.”
However, the New York Times (NYT) reported on the same day, “Most of the documents are genuine, and some of the documents that were manipulated were originally posted on the Internet without modification.” Regarding this, an official from the Office of the President reiterated the position that “we need to check the facts of the investigation with the US Department of Justice.” Regarding whether documents related to Korea were forged, he avoided specific mention, saying, “The field of diplomacy leaves room for interpretation.”
On this day, President Yoon ordered, “Thorough response posture is required to prevent cyber threats to infrastructure such as finance and energy from developing into a security crisis.” Director of the National Security Office Cho Tae-yong held a ‘meeting to check the response to cyberattacks in the energy sector’ with related organizations such as the National Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Science and ICT. It drew attention even though it was scheduled, as it was checking the cyber preparedness posture amid suspicions of wiretapping.
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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.