Senior S. Korean, U.S. diplomats meet amid reported U.S. intel curb controversy

▲ Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Jeong Yeon-doo speaks to the press as he arrives at the State Department in Washington on April 24, 2026. (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-talks

Senior S. Korean, U.S. diplomats meet amid reported U.S. intel curb controversy

By Song Sang-ho, Cho Joon-hyung and Baek Na-ri

WASHINGTON, April 24 (Yonhap) -- Senior South Korean and U.S. diplomats met in Washington on Friday amid a controversy over the United States' reported move to reduce its sharing of intelligence on North Korea in response to what it sees as a disclosure of classified information by Seoul's unification minister.

Vice Foreign Minister for Strategy and Intelligence Jeong Yeon-doo had talks with U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker at the State Department, amid concerns that the controversy could affect bilateral cooperation between the allies.

"I will listen carefully, and talk about our position," Jeong said of the controversy as he walked into the department building.

Reports have said that the U.S. 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 U.S. as he plans to attend a meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at U.N. headquarters in New York early next week.

On the controversy in Seoul, a senior Trump administration official said that the U.S. government "expects all our partners to safeguard sensitive U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

(END)

(C) Yonhap News Agency. All Rights Reserved