South Korea’s leading national security official dismissed concerns Thursday that the country’s crucial partnership with the United States faces a crisis, though he admitted recent disagreements need delicate handling.
Speaking to reporters, Wi Sung-lac acknowledged that diplomatic security discussions with Washington have encountered obstacles due to complications involving Coupang Inc, an e-commerce company traded on US markets. However, he emphasized that partnership matters should remain separate from legal proceedings.
The South Korean government has pushed for security agreement discussions with America to continue independently from investigations into Coupang’s data breach incident. Earlier media coverage suggested Washington had threatened to suspend negotiations unless legal protections were guaranteed for Coupang’s leader, Kim Bom.
“It is true that it is affecting South Korea-U.S. security consultations,” Wi stated during his visit to Hanoi, as reported by Yonhap News Agency. He explained Seoul’s stance that legal processes should proceed while security discussions move ahead on a separate track.
While confirming that security negotiations have experienced delays, Wi stressed through Yonhap that Seoul wants discussions to restart immediately.
“The South Korea-U.S. relationship is an alliance and a very close relationship, so various issues arise,” Wi explained.
“There can be differing views, and that is why they need to be carefully coordinated.”
Wi rejected suggestions that current difficulties stem from mounting problems within the partnership, calling such interpretations excessive.
“An alliance is a very close relationship, but like a garden, it must be carefully managed,” he told JoongAng Ilbo newspaper. “We are in that kind of process now.”
Addressing another contentious issue, Wi defended Unification Minister Chung Dong-young against allegations of revealing classified American intelligence when discussing North Korea’s suspected nuclear facility at Kusong, according to Newsis news agency.
Wi explained that while Washington apparently believed shared intelligence had been compromised, Seoul maintains a different position. Though information about the Kusong site represents classified material between both nations, Chung insisted he never received briefings on such sensitive data and instead used publicly available information – a position Seoul supports.
The US embassy has not yet provided comment on these developments.
