South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol downplayed the significance Wednesday of leaked Pentagon documents that revealed evidence of U.S. spying on his government.
During a joint press conference with President Biden, however, Mr. Yoon would not say whethere Mr. Biden gave him any assurances that the U.S. either didn’t spy on Seoul or would not do it again. Instead, he called for more time to get to the bottom of the situation.
“We need time to wait for the investigation results by the United States and we plan to continue to communicate on the matter,” he said.
Mr. Yoon said the two countries are “sharing necessary information” about the allegations, but did not provide further information.
A massive intelligence leak earlier this month revealed Washington has surveilled its allies, including South Korea.
The leaked papers showed that the South Korean National Security Council “grappled” with the U.S. last month over the Biden administration’s request to provide ammunition to Ukraine.
Seoul has never confirmed such a request, fearing that it would provoke Russia, whose cooperation South Korea needs to help contain the nuclear threat from North Korea.
Another leaked document showed that senior presidential aides in Seoul feared Mr. Biden would pressure Mr. Yoon to ship ammunition to Ukraine or that artillery shells that South Korea sold the U.S. would end up in the war-ravaged country.
While Mr. Yoon brushed off the controversy, members of his country’s opposition have seized on the issue to raise questions about Seoul’s alliance with the U.S., which has endured for 70 years.
“If it is true that they have spied on us, it is a very disappointing act that undermines the South Korea-U.S. alliance, which is based on mutual trust,” Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, told foreign media reporters earlier this month, according to the Associated Press.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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