Gabriela Bernal

Opinion | South Korea’s steadfast US policy dealt a blow by reports of spying

Criticism is mounting about the Yoon administration’s support for the US amid spying claims and as others increasingly distance themselves from Washington’s demands

Many have warned Seoul against an all-in approach with the US at the cost of national interests and ties with important partners such as China

Reading Time:3 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol pauses during a speech at the presidential office in Seoul on August 17, 2022. Since he took office, Yoon has chosen a strong pro-US diplomatic stance. Photo: AP

Gabriela Bernal

Published: 3:30am, 14 Apr 2023Updated: 4:52am, 14 Apr 2023

South Korea has played down potentially damaging reports that its ally, the United States, spied on the office of President Yoon Suk-yeol – instead agreeing with the US that most of the leaked information was fabricated, as Yoon prepares to visit US President Joe Biden in two weeks.

Both opposition and ruling party officials in South Korea reacted with strong criticism after leaked documents suggested the US eavesdropped on conversations at the South Korean presidential office last month.

Dozens of classified US intelligence documents have been leaked in recent days, sparking global controversy. They appear to be mainly about the war in Ukraine, but also include Iran’s nuclear weapons development, North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme and missile tests, the situation in Israel and China’s evolving relationship with Russia.

With the South Korean presidential office, the subject of interest was whether it would agree to provide lethal aid to Ukraine, something the US has long wanted it to do.

The leaked documents quoted Yoon’s foreign affairs secretary as telling Kim Sung-han, then the national security adviser, that the government “was mired in concerns that the US would not be the end user if South Korea were to comply with a US request for ammunition” to replenish American stockpiles.

South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party has called on the Yoon government to stand up against the US and demand “clear information” on the spying allegations.