South Korea’s long-standing alliance with America is being tested by feuds spanning from investment deals to intelligence leaks, compromising Seoul’s ability to respond to North Korea.
In a rare admission, Seoul’s top envoy to the US on Monday acknowledged an “issue” with Washington’s sharing of covert data. “There are limitations in our communication with the White House,” Kang Kyung-wha told lawmakers. “I find it somewhat frustrating.”
That follows reports earlier this year that a South Korean official disclosed US intelligence about a secret North Korean nuclear facility. President Lee Jae Myung had rejected those allegations, calling them “absurd”.
Underscoring the tensions, a prominent South Korean politician was forced to cancel a US trip this month after reports his visa was held up. US President Donald Trump has also scaled back military drills with South Korea, while in June local media reported the country’s spy agency was excluded from a trilateral meeting with the United States and Japan on North Korea at Washington’s request.