US, South Korea work to restore intelligence sharing

South Korea and the United States are working to “normalise” intelligence-sharing cooperation following reports that Washington imposed partial restrictions, according to South Korean officials cited by Yonhap News Agency.

South Korea’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence, Chung Yong-doo, said the issue was discussed during talks held in Washington with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker.

“This is exactly what we are aiming for. Both sides are making efforts,” Chung said, responding to a question about restoring full intelligence sharing between the allies.

The discussions come after reports that the United States partially restricted the sharing of satellite intelligence related to North Korea. The reported ограничения followed remarks by South Korea’s Minister of Unification, Chung Dong-young, who referenced sensitive information concerning possible North Korean nuclear facilities.

Officials in Seoul have maintained that the information cited was derived from open sources. However, in Washington, the remarks were reportedly interpreted as a disclosure of classified intelligence.

South Korea’s National Security Adviser, Wi Sung-lac, confirmed that dialogue between the two allies is ongoing but declined to comment on the specifics of any restrictions, stressing the confidential nature of intelligence cooperation.

A representative of the U.S. administration said Washington expects its partners to strictly adhere to rules governing the protection of sensitive information transmitted through secure channels.

By Tamilla Hasanova