Seoul: Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has expressed regret over allegations that his remarks about North Korea's Kusong region being a site for nuclear facilities constituted an information leak. The minister clarified that his comments were intended to explain South Korea's policy on North Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the controversy arose after Chung described Kusong as a location for uranium enrichment facilities during a parliamentary session last month. Historically, only Yongbyon and Kangson have been officially acknowledged as uranium enrichment sites in North Korea, although some researchers have occasionally mentioned Kusong in this context.
Chung emphasized that his reference to Kusong was part of a broader policy explanation to highlight the seriousness of North Korea's nuclear issue and expressed regret over the information leak allegations. He assured reporters that his remarks were not based on classified intelligence but rather on publicly available information, including expert analyses and local media reports.
The United States has reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with Chung's disclosure, suspecting it was based on intelligence shared by Washington, leading to a halt in sharing satellite information on North Korea with Seoul. However, the unification ministry has maintained that the information was sourced from open channels.
Chung further clarified that he had mentioned Kusong during his confirmation hearing the previous year, questioning the timing of the current allegations. He stressed that national interest should take precedence in addressing such matters and accused some parties of exaggerating a crisis in South Korea-U.S. relations.
Chung reiterated his position on his personal blog, calling the information leak claim "absurd" and stating that he had not received any intelligence briefings on nuclear facilities from domestic or foreign intelligence agencies since assuming office.
President Lee Jae Myung also commented on the matter, noting that the existence of a nuclear facility in Kusong was already widely known through academic papers and media reports prior to Chung's remarks. Lee dismissed claims that Chung leaked classified information as unfounded.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry assured that there are no issues with the military readiness posture against North Korea. Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna assured that South Korea-U.S. cooperation in gathering and sharing information on North Korea remains unaffected.