Seoul: Unification Minister Chung Dong-young will face a prosecution investigation over allegations that he leaked classified information related to North Korea's nuclear facilities. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors Office announced that it received the case from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office on May 21 and has now assigned it for further examination. Chung is accused of violating laws governing the disclosure of official secrets.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during a parliamentary committee session on March 6, Chung revealed that North Korea is operating another uranium enrichment facility in the northwestern region of Kusong, in addition to previously reported sites in Yongbyon and Kangson. This disclosure marked the first official identification of Kusong as a site for North Korea's uranium enrichment activities.
The government had previously identified Yongbyon and Kangson as the primary locations for the North's uranium enrichment programs. The United States reportedly expressed its concerns about the disclosure through South Korean diplomatic, security, and intelligence channels.
The unification ministry clarified that Chung's remarks were based on statements by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, along with reports and analyses from research institutions and media outlets. The ministry emphasized that the prosecution's assignment of the case was merely a procedural step following the complaint and should not be misconstrued as the formal commencement of an investigation.