US limits intelligence sharing with South Korea

The move follows an alleged data leak by a South Korean minister and a reported air defense redeployment to the Middle East.

The US has scaled back intelligence sharing on North Korea with South Korea following an alleged leak by a minister of information thought to have come from sensitive sources, according to local media reports.

Seoul is one of Washington’s key allies in East Asia, alongside Japan, with cooperation spanning real-time intelligence sharing on North Korea, including missile warning data and satellite surveillance. Around 28,500 US troops are also permanently stationed in the country.

”It’s true that the US has cut back on sharing intelligence on North Korea collected through satellites from early this month,” a senior South Korean military official told the Korea JoongAng Daily on Tuesday. The restrictions “are related to information regarding parts of North Korea’s technology,” he added.

The dispute stems from remarks by South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young during a March 6 parliamentary session, when he identified Kusong as a third North Korean uranium enrichment site alongside facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson. The statement – notable because Seoul had not previously officially confirmed the Kusong site – reportedly drew complaints from US officials through diplomatic and military channels, with Washington viewing it as a potential exposure of sensitive, possibly shared data. Chung has rejected the accusations, insisting his remarks were based on publicly available research and prior reports.

Days after the controversy, the Washington Post reported that the Pentagon was redeploying parts of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system – an advanced missile shield designed to intercept short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles – from South Korea to the Middle East, citing the war on Iran. The move has raised concerns in Seoul that a reduced air defense presence could weaken protection against North Korea.

The developments come amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this month, North Korea conducted a series of weapons tests as it seeks to expand its military capabilities. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said nuclear weapons remain the country’s only effective deterrent against what he called US “aggression,” while officials in Pyongyang have recently described the South as the “most hostile enemy state” following drone-related incidents.