House intelligence committee proposes inclusion of S. Korea in 'Five Eyes' intelligence sharing scheme

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. House Committee on Intelligence is moving to recommend an expansion of a U.S.-led intelligence sharing alliance to include South Korea and other allies, a report showed Friday.

The report from the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence recommends an expansion of the "Five Eyes" intelligence sharing alliance to include South Korea, Japan, India, Germany and France.

"The Committee notes the importance of intelligence and resource sharing agreements as well as the need to further strengthen connections with alliance countries and others as a key component of fully implementing the National Intelligence and National Defense Strategies," said the report.

"Therefore, the Committee directs the Director of National Intelligence ... to provide a report to the Committee by May 20, 2022, outlining the current intelligence and resource sharing agreements between the United States and Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom (the Five Eyes); as well as the risks, benefits, and feasibility of expanding such intelligence and resource sharing agreements to South Korea, Japan, India, Germany, and France," it added.

The report, submitted Thursday, is intended to make recommendations for amendments to the appropriations bill for intelligence for fiscal year 2022, which was introduced on Sept. 29.

The proposed change to the intelligence appropriations bill comes after the House armed services committee also proposed an expansion of Five Eyes to include South Korea and other allied countries in its own defense appropriations bill, which passed the armed services committee on Sept. 2.

The defense appropriations bill too, if enacted, would require the director of national intelligence to submit a report on the feasibility of expanding the intelligence sharing alliance by May 20, 2022.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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