South Korea to discuss 'issues' on reported leaked classified documents with US

The South Korean government said it was aware of the reports regarding the alleged leaked classified documents of the United States military. Seoul said it plans to discuss the issues that resulted from the leaked documents with Washington.

A South Korean presidential official said on Sunday that they are aware of the reports surrounding leaked US military classified documents and that they plan on bringing this up with the US. The official did not confirm any details from the leaked documents or address issues related to the leaked documents. When pressed by reporters whether Seoul would file a protest or demand an explanation from Washington, the official said the government would be reviewing precedents and cases that involve other countries.

The official also said that there was no change to South Korea’s policy. This comes as South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to travel to the US and meet his counterpart Joe Biden on April 26.

Three US officials told Reuters Friday last week that several classified US military documents were posted on social media that provided a partial view of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The officials added that Russia or pro-Russian elements were likely the ones who leaked the documents. One of the documents that were obtained by Reuters showed details of internal discussions among top South Korean officials about the US pressure on South Korea to help supply Ukraine with weapons and its policy of not doing so.

The alleged document, which was not dated, said that South Korea agreed to sell artillery shells to help the US replenish its stocks, maintaining that the “end user” should be the US military. However, in internal discussions, South Korean officials expressed concerns that the US would divert them to Ukraine.

The report was based on signals intelligence suggesting that the US was spying on South Korea. The US Justice Department said it was investigating the leak.

Over the weekend, the US, South Korea, and Japan have expressed concerns over what was referred to as “malicious” cyber-activities being conducted by North Korea to support its weapons programs. The envoys of the three countries issued a joint statement reiterating their concerns that North Korean IT workers are using fake identities and false nationalities to evade United Nations sanctions and raise funds for Pyongyang’s missile programs.