A major US newspaper reports that leaked US government documents indicate that Washington intercepted internal debates of the South Korean government.

The New York Times quoted senior US administration officials last week as saying the classified documents were posted on social media. It said the documents detail secret US and NATO plans for building up the Ukrainian military ahead of a planned offensive against Russian troops.

The Times published articles over the weekend concerning some of the documents that it says suggest the US was spying on the South Korean government.

The Times says one section of the documents reports that South Korean officials were worried that US President Joe Biden would press South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to deliver artillery shells for use in Ukraine.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol Photo source: Presidential Palace of South Korea

Supplying such weapons would run counter to South Korea's policy of not providing lethal aid.

The Times says the document section was based on intercepted communications among high-ranking South Korean officials, including the then-national security adviser.

Yoon is scheduled to meet Biden in the US later this month. A South Korean presidential official told reporters on Sunday that Seoul will hold necessary discussions with Washington on the Times report.（NHK）