US expects S. Korea to 'uphold' alliance standards amid intelligence cooperation concerns: senior official

A senior U.S. administration official said Friday that Washington expects Seoul to uphold the standards of their decadeslong alliance, particularly on intelligence and counterintelligence. The statement followed South Korea’s National Intelligence Service being excluded from a June U.S.-South Korea-Japan meeting on North Korean cyber threats. Tensions also followed Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s March disclosure of a North Korean uranium enrichment facility in Kusong and a delayed U.S. visa for Rep. Jung Chung-rae.

The senior official made the statement in a written response to an inquiry from Yonhap News Agency about bilateral intelligence cooperation.

The June trilateral meeting concerned North Korean cyber threats, and local media reported that the NIS was excluded at Washington’s request.

Chung Dong-young said he had disclosed information already in the public domain when identifying the Kusong facility in March.

Washington appears to have restricted Seoul’s access to some North Korea-related intelligence after the disclosure.

Jung Chung-rae said in a Facebook post that his U.S. visa was under review and asked others to avoid remarks that could harm the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Published Oct 10, 2026 7:10 am KST

National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok leaves the National Assembly in Seoul after attending a plenary session of the parliamentary intelligence committee, Sept. 30. Yonhap

WASHINGTON — A senior U.S. official said Friday that Washington expects Seoul to "uphold" the standards of their decadeslong alliance, amid heightened concerns over apparent friction in the countries' intelligence cooperation.

"We expect the ROK to uphold the standards of our decadeslong alliance, in particular concerning matters of intelligence and counterintelligence," the senior U.S. administration official told Yonhap News Agency in a written statement, referring to South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

The statement was provided in response to an inquiry from Yonhap News Agency regarding the state of bilateral intelligence cooperation.

The remarks follow growing speculation over bilateral friction after South Korea's National Intelligence Service acknowledged it was excluded from a June trilateral meeting, also involving Japan, on North Korean cyber threats. Local media reports indicated the agency was left out at Washington's request.

South Korea and the United States have faced signs of friction in the intelligence field after Seoul Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's public disclosure of a North Korean uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, North Korea in March.

While Chung has said he only shared what was already in the public domain, the move appears to have prompted Washington to restrict Seoul's access to some intelligence related to North Korea in apparent protest over the disclosure.

The strain in bilateral relations was also apparent in a delayed issuance of a U.S. visa for Rep. Jung Chung-rae, former leader of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party of Korea. Jung had planned to visit the United States for a parliamentary audit of Seoul's diplomatic missions.

Jung addressed the issue in a Facebook post, noting that his U.S. visa is under review and asking others to refrain from remarks that could harm the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

一位美国高级官员周五表示，华盛顿希望首尔维护两国数十年来的同盟标准，尤其是在情报和反情报领域。此前，韩国国家情报院被排除在6月举行的美韩日关于朝鲜网络威胁的会议之外。此外，韩国统一部长官郑东映3月披露朝鲜在龟城拥有铀浓缩设施，以及韩国众议员郑正来赴美签证被延迟，也加剧了双方的紧张关系。

这位高级官员在书面答复韩联社关于双边情报合作的问询时作出了上述表态。

6 月的三方会议讨论了朝鲜的网络威胁，当地媒体报道称，应华盛顿的要求，美国国家情报院被排除在外。

郑东永表示，他在3月份确认龟城设施时，披露的信息已经是公开信息了。

消息披露后，华盛顿似乎限制了首尔获取一些与朝鲜有关的情报。

郑忠来在脸书上发帖称，他的美国签证正在接受审查，并要求其他人避免发表可能损害韩美同盟的言论。

发布于2026年10月10日 上午7:10（韩国标准时间）

9月30日，韩国国家情报院院长李钟硕在首尔出席国会情报委员会全体会议后离开国会。（韩联社）

华盛顿——一位美国高级官员周五表示，鉴于两国情报合作中出现的明显摩擦日益加剧，华盛顿希望首尔“维护”两国长达数十年的联盟标准。

“我们希望韩国维护我们数十年来的同盟标准，尤其是在情报和反情报事务方面，”一位美国高级政府官员在一份书面声明中告诉韩联社，他指的是韩国的正式名称——大韩民国。

该声明是对韩联社就双边情报合作状况提出的询问的回应。

此前，韩国国家情报院承认其被排除在6月份与日本共同举行的关于朝鲜网络威胁的三方会议之外，引发了外界对韩美双边摩擦的猜测。当地媒体报道称，韩国国家情报院是应华盛顿的要求被排除在外的。

今年3月，韩国统一部长官郑东荣公开披露朝鲜龟城拥有铀浓缩设施，此后韩国和美国在情报领域出现了摩擦迹象。

虽然郑义宣表示他只是分享了已经公开的信息，但此举似乎促使华盛顿限制首尔获取一些与朝鲜有关的情报，显然是为了抗议此次泄密事件。

韩美双边关系紧张也体现在美国延迟签发韩国执政党共同民主党前党首郑正来议员的签证上。郑正来原计划访问美国，接受国会关于首尔驻美外交机构的审计。

郑俊英在脸书上发帖回应了此事，指出他的美国签证正在接受审查，并要求其他人不要发表可能损害韩美同盟的言论。