Remove N. Korean and Chinese spies from S. Korea’s key strategic fields

Mar 18, 2025, 09:57 am

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The U.S. Department of Energy building / Source: UPI Yonhap

AsiaToday reporter Han Dae-eui

Experts on South Korea-U.S. relations have assessed that the U.S. designating South Korea as a "sensitive country" is a message urging President Yoon Suk-yeol to return and remove North Korean and Chinese spies from the fields of national intelligence and advanced energy industries. Observers suggest that the U.S. is wary of a power shift to a leftist regime aligned with President Yoon's impeachment, which could lead to anti-American, pro-China, and pro-North Korea tendencies, the destruction of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, and the infiltration of Chinese capital into South Korean companies operating in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) classified South Korea as a sensitive country in December last year, coinciding with President Yoon's impeachment, due to concerns that South Korea is becoming a "hostile state," according to a report on Monday. The impeachment motion against President Yoon, led by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and other opposition parties, cited the development of South Korea-U.S.-Japan relations as a reason for impeachment.

U.S. intelligence sources indicate that the U.S. administration has diagnosed a severe stage of anti-American, pro-China leftist tendencies among South Korea's political circles, media, and public officials. They are particularly alarmed by frequent espionage activities by pro-North Korean politicians and Chinese spies stealing information.

One notable example is the USB incident during the Moon Jae-in administration, where sensitive information was allegedly handed over to North Korea's Kim Jong-un regime, causing significant harm to the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Other incidents, such as the killing of a South Korean public official in the West Sea and the forced repatriation of North Korean defectors, have also been cited as experiences necessitating future U.S. responses. If President Yoon's impeachment is upheld, a power shift to an anti-American, pro-China regime is seen as inevitable.

Kim Seok-woo, a former vice minister of unification and former director of the Asia Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in an interview that the U.S. included South Korea as a sensitive country because it believes anti-American forces could potentially take power. He emphasized that the U.S. political community is focused on the fact that the Democratic Party and opposition forces cited South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation as a reason for impeachment in President Yoon's first impeachment motion. A regime change to the Democratic Party is seen as a clear threat to the South Korea-U.S. alliance.

Over the past decade, espionage activities in South Korea have revealed the exposure of sensitive military information to China and North Korea. Cases such as the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions spy ring, Changwon spy ring, Cheongju spy ring, and Jeju spy ring, along with undiscovered espionage activities, indicate increasing infiltration by North Korean and Chinese spies. President Yoon's relocation of the presidential office from the Blue House to Yongsan is also seen as part of this context.

An official from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) stated that it is challenging for the NIS to apprehend spies without counterintelligence investigation authority. While the capture of four spy rings is considered an achievement, there are clear limitations in bringing them to justice due to obstructive forces. This highlights the deep involvement of North Korean and Chinese spies in South Korea's political, social, and economic sectors and the existence of forces hindering intelligence investigations.

Additionally, in the U.S.-China power struggle, the U.S. is concerned that South Korea might become a pro-China intermediary due to Chinese capital infiltration. The U.S. is wary of South Korean companies operating in the U.S. being used to destabilize the U.S. market. The U.S. perceives significant Chinese capital influence in sectors such as gaming, K-pop entertainment, media, and internet companies like mobile banking.

Lee Jae-choon, a former South Korean ambassador to Russia, remarked that both the U.S. Democratic and Republican parties view South Korea's Democratic Party as deeply aligned with leftist ideologies. He noted that the U.S. has observed this during the five years of the Moon Jae-in administration, particularly regarding North Korea's nuclear issues. He added that China's intentions to use South Korea to destabilize the U.S. in the U.S.-China conflict are evident, and the U.S. is aware of the numerous pro-China politicians cultivated domestically in South Korea.

#North Korean #Chinese #spies #espionage