Seoul denies report that Howard Lutnick criticized intelligence agency

South Korea's industry ministry on Oct. 9 denied a newspaper report alleging that U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed distrust of the National Intelligence Service during investment talks.

The ministry said the alleged comments to Minister Kim Jung-kwan, supposedly made during negotiations on strategic investment projects in the United States, were not true. It urged the newspaper to report accurately to avoid misunderstanding and confusion.

The National Intelligence Service, or NIS, separately notified the press that it had received no information about the alleged remark by the U.S. secretary.

Yonhap reported that Washington has partially restricted Seoul's access to North Korea-related technology intelligence since April, following the unification minister's disclosure about a North Korean nuclear facility. That background does not establish that Lutnick made the specific statement denied by the agencies.