© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on President Biden’s proposed budget request for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2024, in Capitol Hill in Washington, USA, March 28, 2023
By Soo Hyang Choi
SEOUL (Reuters) – A senior South Korean security official said on Tuesday that information contained in allegedly leaked confidential United States documents that appeared to be based on internal discussions between senior South Korean officials is “false” and “altered”.
Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo made the remark as he was leaving for Washington ahead of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to the US on April 26, stressing that the two countries’ alliance it stayed solid.
Several documents have recently been posted on social media offering a partial snapshot of the war in Ukraine a month ago, including one providing details of internal discussions among South Korean officials about US pressure on Seoul to help supply weapons to South Korea. Ukraine.
“The two countries have the same assessment that much of the information released is doctored,” Kim told reporters, adding that the report on South Korea is “false.”
He did not explain which part of the document was false.
The document, which appears to be undated, said South Korea had agreed to sell artillery shells to help the United States replenish its stockpiles, insisting that the “end user” should be the US military. But internally, senior South Korean officials were concerned the US would divert them to Ukraine.
South Korea has said its law prohibits the supply of weapons to countries in conflict, meaning it cannot send weapons to Ukraine.
The US report appeared to be based in part on intelligence signals, suggesting the US had been spying on South Korea, one of its most important allies.
Reuters has not independently verified the authenticity of the documents. Some Ukrainian battlefield casualty estimates appeared to have been tampered with to minimize Russian losses.
Kim said the latest disclosure will have no impact on South Korea’s alliance with the US.
“The United States is the country with the best intelligence capabilities in the world and since (Yoon’s) inauguration we have shared intelligence in almost every sector,” Kim said.
Earlier, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held telephone talks with his South Korean counterpart on Tuesday and discussed recent media reports on the leak of confidential US documents, the ministry said. Defense of South Korea.
During the phone conversation, which took place at Austin’s request, the Pentagon chief promised to communicate and cooperate closely with South Korea on the issue, the ministry said.