Spy agency snub raises US alliance concerns in S. Korea

A recent snub of South Korea's spy agency during a trilateral meeting with the United States and Japan has raised concerns over potential friction in the U.S.-South Korea alliance, according to sources. The National Intelligence Service (NIS) acknowledged on Thursday that it had been excluded from a June meeting discussing North Korean cyber threats, reportedly due to a request from Washington.

While the NIS downplayed the incident, the exclusion has fueled worries about bilateral ties, with ongoing reports of friction between the two partners. Earlier, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy dismissed a local news report claiming that U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had expressed distrust of the NIS during bilateral negotiations on strategic investment projects.

In response to the reports, a senior insider from the ruling bloc acknowledged that various issues between the two sides have impacted overall bilateral ties, stating, "It is not good for bilateral relations to be shaky like this."