Industry ministry denies report of Lutnick's dissatisfaction with spy agency
US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, left, looks on as US President Donald Trump makes an announcement on steel in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, DC, Sept. 28. AFP-Yonhap
The industry ministry on Friday formally dismissed a local news report alleging U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had voiced dissatisfaction with South Korea's spy agency during bilateral negotiations on strategic investment projects.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources issued the denial in response to a local newspaper article claiming Lutnick had conveyed Washington's discontent with South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS).
"We clearly state that the claim that Commerce Secretary Lutnick expressed distrust of the NIS to Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan during negotiations on strategic investment projects in the U.S. is not true," the ministry said.
The ministry called on the newspaper to report accurately to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and confusion.
The NIS issued a similar notice to the press, saying it had received no information regarding the alleged remark by Lutnick.
Washington has partially restricted Seoul's access to intelligence on North Korea-related technology since April in protest against the unification minister's disclosure of information on one of the North's nuclear facilities.