{"id":2200673,"date":"2023-04-10T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2023-04-09T23:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2200673"},"modified":"2023-04-09T23:32:34","modified_gmt":"2023-04-09T14:32:34","slug":"south-korea-and-u-s-to-discuss-leaked-pentagon-documents-over-eavesdropping","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/04\/south-korea-and-u-s-to-discuss-leaked-pentagon-documents-over-eavesdropping\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea and U.S. to discuss leaked Pentagon documents over eavesdropping"},"content":{"rendered":"
A trove of <\/span>leaked Pentagon documents<\/span><\/a> has revealed that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has intercepted South Korean government communications regarding Seoul\u2019s aid to Ukraine.<\/span><\/p>\n The New York Times <\/span>reported<\/span><\/a> that according to the leaked documents, the CIA intercepted electronic communications about South Korea\u2019s internal debates about whether to give the U.S. artillery shells for use in Ukraine. Seoul has been unwilling to provide direct lethal aid to Kyiv due to its Foreign Trade Act, which <\/span>states<\/span><\/a> its exports can only be used for \u201cpeaceful purposes\u201d and \u201cshall not affect international peace, safety maintenance and national security.\u201d Another section of the leaked documents reports that ROK officials were concerned that U.S. President Joe Biden would pressure President Yoon Suk-yeol to deliver lethal aid.<\/span><\/p>\n Why It Matters<\/b><\/p>\n Seoul is unlikely to take serious issue with Washington over the CIA\u2019s interception of South Korean officials\u2019 electronic communications. Biden and Yoon are less than three weeks away from their bilateral summit to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the U.S.-ROK alliance. While the documents are embarrassing for Seoul and Washington, neither government will take steps to jeopardize the summit or the alliance.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the leak could further deteriorate South Korea\u2019s relations with Russia. When <\/span>reports<\/span><\/a> emerged in November last year that South Korea was supplying Ukraine with artillery shells by way of the U.S., Seoul <\/span>insisted<\/span><\/a> that its discussions with Washington were based \u201con the understanding that the U.S. would be the end user.\u201d But the leaked documents reveal that South Korean officials privately knew that was not the case, which deprives them of plausible deniability.<\/span><\/p>\n