South Korea, US Making Efforts Toward 'Normalisation' Amid US Intel Curb Controversy: Seoul Official

WASHINGTON, April 25 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- A senior South Korean diplomat said Friday that Seoul and Washington are making efforts toward "normalisation," amid reports that the United States (US) has partially limited its sharing of intelligence on North Korea in response to what it sees as a classified information leak by a top Seoul official.

Yonhap News reported that South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Jeong Yeon-doo made the remarks after he met with the US, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker at the State Department in Washington, amid concerns that the reported curbs on the sharing of intelligence could affect security cooperation between the allies.

"That is what we are trying to do. Both sides are making (efforts)," he said when asked by Yonhap News Agency if things are moving toward "normalisation."

When asked if misunderstandings between Seoul and Washington have been addressed, Jeong said, "We had discussed (issues), including that. Let's wait and see."

Reports have said that the US partially restricted South Korea's access to its satellite intelligence on North Korea after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young referred to the North's Kusong area as one of the sites that host uranium enrichment facilities.

Seoul believes that Chung's reference to the Kusong site is based on "open-source" information, while the U.S. side regards it as a disclosure of confidential information.

Given that both Jeong and Hooker are well-versed in North Korean issues, the two sides were expected to have in-depth discussions over the matter.

Jeong was in the US as he plans to attend a meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at UN headquarters in New York early next week.

On the controversy in Seoul, a senior Trump administration official said that the US government "expects all our partners to safeguard sensitive US information that has been shared in private channels."

During a press briefing in Hanoi on Thursday, South Korea's National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac said that Seoul and Washington have been in communication over the issue.

Asked if the US has actually curbed the sharing of intelligence with the Asian ally, Wi said, "It is difficult to either confirm or deny it" as it pertains to intelligence matters between the allies.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP