NIS excluded from June meeting with U.S., Japan over N. Korean cyber threats

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) was left out of a June trilateral meeting with the United States and Japan to discuss North Korean cyber threats, a fact that was only revealed after a local newspaper reported on the exclusion. The Ministry of Unification had suggested that North Korea operates a third uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, a claim the NIS acknowledged was already public knowledge.

The NIS initially denied being barred from the meeting, attributing the misunderstanding to differing national interests. However, it now admitted the report was accurate, emphasizing its ongoing close cooperation with the U.S. on security matters, including cyber threats and North Korea. The Trilateral Diplomatic Working Group, which the trilateral meeting belongs to, held its inaugural session in December 2023 following a Camp David summit, aiming to enhance security cooperation among the three nations.