A Pentagon leak shows high-ranking South Korean officials discussing whether to sell arms to Ukraine.
The intercept targeted two senior advisors to President Yoon Suk Yeol.
They are torn between US pressure to deliver weapons to Ukraine and their policy of not arming conflicting nations.
One expert advises sending the shells to Poland instead of the US to avoid appearing weak.
Washington is scrambling to locate the leaker because the Pentagon claims it threatens national security.
Last year, South Korea agreed to sell artillery shells to the United States to replenish its stocks. But insisted that the United States could not transport the shells to Kyiv.
President Yoon’s foreign affairs secretary Yi Mun-hui reportedly informed former National Security Advisor Kim Sung-han on 1 March that the government was “worried that the United States would not be the final user” of the ammunition.
They were also concerned that President Biden might call President Yoon directly to discuss the issue. If South Korea stopped selling arms to Ukraine, it would look like the US pressured it.
According to the document, Mr. Kim, South Korea’s national security advisor, then suggested they sell shells to Poland instead. Since “the United States’ ultimate objective was to get the ammunition to Ukraine quickly.”
South Korea has stated that it is investigating the disclosure but has insisted that it is impossible to eavesdrop on private conversations in its presidential office and that this conversation could not have occurred in its private underground bunker.
The United States has made no secret of its desire for South Korea to arm Ukraine. It believes that South Korea’s ability to produce advanced weapons at a breakneck pace could contribute significantly to the war’s outcome.
However, Seoul has shown reluctance to do so, citing its policy of not sending weapons to countries in conflict and privately expressing concern about burning bridges with Russia.
This shows that the South Koreans were aware and willing for their shells to end up in Ukraine. This could potentially strain relations with Moscow.
South Korea always maintains a delicate balance between the United States on one side and Russia and China on the other, according to Jenny Town, a Korea analyst at the think tank 38 North. “This disclosure demonstrates that they are most concerned with appearances. They are attempting to strike a balance between their willingness to support Ukraine and how it will be perceived.
This allegation, apparently based on signals intelligence, has the potential to strain relations between the United States and South Korea, as it implies that the United States has been spying on its decades-long ally.
It’s not surprising that the US spies on allies and rivals, but the timing is bad.
In two weeks, President Yoon will pay a state visit to the White House to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the alliance between South Korea and the United States, which the United States is quick to point out is still “ironclad.”
After reading the news, the Seoul opposition party questioned how the US intercepted such a high-level talk. “This is a clear violation of our sovereignty by the United States and a massive security breach on the part of South Korea,” it said in a Monday statement.
A former liberal government advisor, Kim Jong-dae, characterizes this as an “intelligence disaster” for South Korea. This represents the top of the iceberg. He stated, “There is no way in hell that this is it.”
The South Korean government is attempting to minimize the disclosure. It asserts that it concurs with a U.S. assessment that some of the documents may have been falsified.
“Exaggerate or distort this incident to shake the alliance before the summit will be resisted,” a government source said.
The event was expected to increase US pressure on Mr. Yoon to deploy weaponry to Ukraine. This matter abruptly becomes more delicate.
