South Korea’s Military Chief Says Some US Intelligence Sharing Remains Limited
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung told lawmakers that some US intelligence sharing on North Korea has not been fully restored, while stressing that missile monitoring and military readiness remain unaffected.
South Korea’s top military officer acknowledged Thursday that some US intelligence sharing on North Korea remains limited, but said the restrictions have not weakened the country’s readiness or its ability to carry out nuclear and missile missions.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung made the remarks during a National Assembly audit at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul. Questioned by opposition lawmakers about whether Seoul and Washington were exchanging core intelligence on North Korea’s nuclear program, Jin said some information was restricted but that the military could maintain its overall readiness posture.
He drew a distinction between the affected material and intelligence needed to respond to an immediate threat. According to Jin, sharing has continued for imminent warning signs and other operationally urgent matters. He also rejected the suggestion that the military was being denied intelligence essential to its duties.
Jin later told lawmakers that the arrangement had not yet been fully restored, while emphasizing that there was no limitation on nuclear and missile missions. His comments indicated that information concerning signs of a North Korean missile launch and launch trajectories continues to flow between the allies.
The partial limits have reportedly been in place since March, after Washington objected to public remarks by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young concerning a uranium enrichment facility in North Korea. The material said to have been affected involves information on North Korean technology collected through US satellite assets.
The issue has also raised questions about intelligence cooperation beyond military channels. Reports said South Korea’s National Intelligence Service was excluded at Washington’s request from a trilateral South Korea-US-Japan meeting on North Korean cyber threats in June.
During Thursday’s hearing, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sun-won argued that the remaining issue concerned cooperation between the US Central Intelligence Agency and South Korea’s National Intelligence Service and said it had been almost entirely resolved. Asked whether the Joint Chiefs had any problem working with US military intelligence bodies, Jin said there was none.
Jin nevertheless said a prompt resolution would be preferable and that efforts were underway to restore the remaining sharing. He expressed an expectation that the information flow would resume soon, while maintaining that current restrictions do not compromise surveillance of immediate threats or the joint defense posture.
The testimony offers a more detailed public account of an unusual strain in intelligence cooperation between the allies. It also underscores Seoul’s effort to reassure lawmakers that operational coordination continues even as officials work through unresolved limits affecting selected intelligence.