(LEAD) Spy agency snub raises U.S. alliance concerns in S. Korea
SEOUL, Oct. 9 (Yonhap) -- A recent snub of Seoul's spy agency during a trilatera...
A recent exclusion of South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) from a trilateral meeting involving the United States and Japan has raised concerns about potential tension in the South Korea-U.S. alliance, according to sources. The NIS confirmed on Thursday that it was omitted from the June discussion on North Korean cyber threats, following a news report suggesting the agency was intentionally left out at the request of Washington.
While the NIS downplayed the significance of the incident, the exclusion has sparked apprehensions about bilateral relations, with additional reports of friction between the two nations. Earlier in the day, South Korea's industry ministry refuted a local news report claiming that U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had expressed skepticism towards the NIS during bilateral negotiations regarding strategic investment projects.
In response to these reports, a senior official from the ruling bloc admitted that "various issues" between the two countries have impacted the overall state of their bilateral ties. The official told Yonhap News Agency that "it is not good for bilateral relations to be shaky like this," emphasizing that "it is never desirable for problems to arise in the partnership."
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Spy agency snub raises US alliance concerns in S. Korea koreatimes.co.kr
- Spy agency snub raises U.S. alliance concerns in S. Korea en.yna.co.kr
