Foreign Minister Park Jin said Wednesday much of the information contained in purported Pentagon documents leaked online appears to have been fabricated.
Park made the remark to reporters after delivering a lecture to lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party, saying the government is closely communicating with the United States on this matter.
The authenticity of the documents has gained wide attention after The New York Times and The Washington Post reported them revealing that U.S. intelligence services allegedly eavesdropped on Seoul's internal debates about providing weapons to the U.S. for use in Ukraine.
A day earlier, the defense chiefs of South Korea and the U.S. agreed on the assessment that much of the information in the purported documents was fabricated, while the office of President Yoon Suk Yeol rejected the eavesdropping allegations as "absurd and false."
"The U.S. government is trying to get to the truth, and if it does, South Korea and the U.S. will share the information," Park said.
Park added Yoon's upcoming state visit to the U.S. later this month will improve the alliance between the two countries, noting this year is the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.
In response to local media reports that Seoul will provide 500,000 rounds of artillery shells to Washington, Park reaffirmed Seoul's stance that it will not provide lethal aid to Ukraine.
During the closed-door part of the lecture, Park also said the government has asked the U.S. to provide tax benefits to Korean-made electric vehicles as well in relation to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, and help South Korea invest more in semiconductor factories in China, according to participants.
Park was also quoted as saying South Korea will likely become a nonpermanent member of the U.N. Security Council for 2024 and 2025.
Source: Yonhap News Agency