The leaked Pentagon documents released on Tuesday appear to reveal conversations among South Korean security officials, but Kim Tae-hyo, South Korea’s deputy national security director, said, "There's no indication that the US, which is our ally, conducted (eavesdropping) on us with malicious intent."
This comes as President Joe Biden is set to host South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol amid the 70th anniversary celebrating the nations’ alliance, per CNN.
The major concern is that the leaked documents appear to note that South Korea sold arms to the US, who then passed them off to Ukraine, which would violate the Asian country’s policy of not equipping lethal weaponry to parties involved in military conflict. Another document points to the possibility that the US has intercepted South Korean communication signals, but President Suk-yeol has dismissed the accusations as "an absurd false suspicion."
The Associated Press reported that the South Korean government had held talks with the US about the leaked documents, with both parties agreeing that "a considerable number" of the documents were completely fabricated, but South Korean officials did not specify which of the documents were fabricated.
Senior officials within the Biden administration have reportedly spoken with high-ranking allies, reassuring them that the US maintains a strong commitment to safe-guarding sensitive intelligence. The administration attempted to lighten the impact that the leaks could have on Suk-yeol's upcoming visit to Washington.
The White House Security Council said the following in a statement: "Our commitment to the Republic of Korea remains ironclad, and President Biden looks forward to welcoming President Yoon to the White House for the upcoming state visit to discuss their shared commitment for a strong and deeply integrated U.S.-ROK Alliance that maintains peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond."
