The United States' relationship with South Korea remains very good, a Pentagon spokesperson said Monday, amid what she called an ongoing review to check the authenticity of leaked classified documents that suggest the possible wiretapping of South Korea's presidential office by U.S. intelligence services.
Sabrina Singh, principal deputy spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, also highlighted U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea.
"I'm not going to speak to specific documents that are circulating, but what I can say, and again, is that we are just doing a review of the documents," Singh told a daily press briefing, adding the review is to see if "any documents were further manipulated."
The classified documents, allegedly leaked by a 21-year-old Massachusetts air national guardsman and circulated on social media, showed that U.S. intelligence services may have eavesdropped on conversations at South Korea's presidential office, according to earlier news reports.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a telephone call with South Korean Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup last week, reportedly said that much of the information contained in the leaked documents "was faked."
"Again, this is an ongoing review," the defense department spokesperson said when asked if the U.S. would apologize to South Korea should it ever be found to have wiretapped the country's highest executive office.
"We have a very good relationship with South Korea. You have heard us say from here from this podium, but again from Secretary Austin as well that our commitment is rock solid and we have a positive relationship with South Korea," she added.
Source: Yonhap News Agency