SEOUL—LeakedintelligencedocumentssuggestingWashingtonspiedonSeoulhaveputSouthKoreanPresidentYoonSuk-yeolinadelicatesituationaheadofastatevisittotheUnitedStates,thefirstsuchtripbyaSouthKoreanleaderin12years.

ThedocumentscontainpurportedlyprivateconversationsamongseniorSouthKoreanofficialsaboutUkraine,indicatingthatWashingtonmayhaveconductedsurveillanceonakeyAsianallyevenasthetwonationspubliclyvowedtoreinforcetheiralliance.

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Sincetakingofficelastyear,YoonhasputabolsteredmilitarypartnershipwiththeUSattheheartofhisforeignpolicy.TheApril26summitwithUSPresidentJoeBidenisseenascrucialtowinningastrongerUSsecuritycommitmentandresolvinggrievancesovertheBidenadministration"seconomicandtechnologypolicies,TheAssociatedPresscommented.

TheleakeddocumentswerepostedonlineaspartofamajorUSintelligencebreach.ThepapersviewedbymediaindicatethatSouthKorea"sNationalSecurityCouncil"grappled"withtheUSinearlyMarchoveraUSrequesttoprovideartilleryammunitiontoUkraine.

Thedocuments,whichcitedasignalsintelligencereport,saidthen-NSCdirectorKimSung-hansuggestedthepossibilityofselling330,000roundsof155mmmunitionstoPoland,sincegettingtheammunitiontoUkrainequicklywastheUS"ultimategoal.

SouthKorea,agrowingarmsexporter,hasapolicyofnotsupplyingweaponstocountriesatwar.IthasnotprovidedarmsdirectlytoUkraine,althoughithasshippedhumanitarianaidandjoinedUS-ledeconomicsanctionsagainstRussia.

Yoon"sgovernmentsaiditdiscussedtheleakedpaperswiththeUS,andtheyagreedthat"aconsiderablenumber"ofthedocumentswerefabricated.TheSouthKoreangovernmentavoidedanypubliccomplaintsabouttheUSanddidnotspecifywhichdocumentswerefaked.

"There"snoindicationthattheUS,whichisourally,conducted(eavesdropping)onuswithmaliciousintent,"KimTae-hyo,deputynationalsecuritydirector,toldreportersonTuesdayatDullesInternationalAirportnearWashingtonatthestartofatripaimedatpreparingforthesummit.

Criticismfromliberals

SeniorBidenadministrationofficialshavediscussedtheleakswithalliesathighlevelsandsoughttoreassurethemoftheUSgovernment"scommitmenttosafeguardingintelligence.TheadministrationalsosoughttodownplaytheimpacttheleakwouldhaveonYoon"supcomingvisit.

TheYoongovernment"sstanceinvitedcriticismfromliberalrivals,whocalledonthegovernmenttolodgestrongprotestswiththeUS.TheyalsosuspectedwhattheycallYoon"shastyrelocationofhispresidentialofficetoaDefenseMinistrycompoundincentralSeoulmayhavelefttheofficevulnerabletowiretapping.

"Asasovereignnation,wemuststernlyrespondtothespyingofstatesecrets,evenifitwascommittedbyanallywithwhom(SouthKorea)hasbondedoverblood,"ParkHong-geun,floorleaderofthemainliberaloppositionDemocraticParty,said.

Thesituationisunlikelytothreatenthecountry"salliancewiththeUSthatwasforgedduringthe1950-53KoreanWar,manyexpertssay.

"Nobigdamageisexpectedonthe(South)Korea-USallianceasitseemsbothgovernmentssharetheviewthattheywouldfocusonthealliance,moreconcretelyonasuccessfulstatevisitbyYoon,"BongYoung-shik,anexpertatSeoul"sYonseiInstituteforNorthKoreanStudies,said.

IfYoonreturnswithsomeachievements,SouthKoreanswillconcludethatheputupwiththespyingallegations"becausebiggermatterswereatstake",Bongsaid.Butifthevisitamountsto"apomponlytrip",peoplewouldquestionwhetherSouthKorea"madelotsofconcessions".

AgenciesViaXinhua