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| ▲ Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at a party meeting at the National Assembly on April 14, 2023. (Yonhap) |
opposition leader-leaked documents
Opposition leader calls for joint probe with U.S. into eavesdropping allegations
SEOUL, April 14 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung called on the government Friday to consider demanding a joint investigation with the United States into suspected eavesdropping on the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Lee, chairman of the Democratic Party (DP), also said the government should demand an official apology from the U.S., accusing the government of trying to paper over the incident with "unreasonable" claims and "sophistry."
"We cannot safeguard our sovereignty and national interest with a submissive attitude," he said. "We're now even seeing U.S. news reports that the president of South Korea is downplaying the case. We are failing to defend the minimum level of pride."
U.S. media have reported that purported Pentagon documents have been leaked online that include information gleaned from eavesdropping on conversations of top South Korean officials about whether to provide weapons aid to Ukraine.
The government has since rejected eavesdropping allegations as "absurd and false," arguing that it believes much of the information contained in the documents was fabricated and the presidential office has all anti-eavesdropping systems in place.
"It is not time to tiptoe around the U.S. Rather, as equal sovereign countries, we should confidently demand the uncovering of the truth and receive a formal apology from the U.S. government," Lee said in a party meeting.
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