South Korea says many leaked US documents are fake

A western forensic document examiner in South Korea said on Tuesday that a “significant portion” of the leaked U.S. intelligence documents— which raised concerns in Seoul about arms supplies to Ukraine—were fake. The documents are part of a broader leak that the Pentagon has described as a “very serious” national‑security risk and that has created a diplomatic headache for Washington, as they appear to show U.S. spying on close allies, including South Korea and Israel.

Some of the files reportedly reveal worry among top South Korean national‑security officials that arms and ammunition manufactured in South Korea might end up in Ukraine, which would violate Seoul’s policy of not selling weapons to nations at war. In a call on Tuesday, South Korea’s defence minister and the U.S. secretary of defense agreed that “a significant number of the documents in question were fabricated,” the presidential office said in a statement.

Dozens of photographs of the documents have been circulating on social‑media platforms and messaging services such as Twitter, Telegram and Discord for at least several weeks. The Pentagon says it is working to determine which documents are genuine and notes that at least one appears to have been manipulated, although U.S. officials reportedly believe many of the documents are real.

The leak has prompted U.S. officials to reassure allies, including South Korea, which has provided non‑lethal and humanitarian aid to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion last year. Seoul maintains a long‑standing policy against supplying weapons to countries in active conflict, making direct arms transfers to Ukraine difficult.

The revelation of alleged Ukraine‑related discussions among top national‑security officials has sparked criticism in South Korea over the vulnerability of sensitive sites, including the presidential office. President Yoon Suk‑yeol’s office pushed back on Tuesday, asserting that it has “iron‑clad security” and calling the eavesdropping allegations “senseless lies.” Yoon is scheduled to travel to the United States later this month on a state visit.