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South Korea's Unification Ministry pushed back Friday against reports that Washington had expressed displeasure and threatened to limit intelligence sharing after a South Korean minister publicly identified a previously undisclosed North Korean nuclear facility.
The controversy stems from remarks made by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young during a parliamentary hearing on March 6, where he stated that North Korea operates a uranium enrichment facility in Kusong — a site not previously confirmed publicly — in addition to the widely known facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson. South Korean officials said Chung's comments were grounded in publicly available information, including reports from international research institutions, and that Washington had acknowledged this explanation.
The report, published by South Korean newspaper Dong-A Ilbo and citing sources from both countries, claimed the United States had signaled its intention to partially curtail North Korea-related intelligence sharing with Seoul. According to the report, Chung's disclosure served as the immediate trigger, but broader frustrations over a series of foreign policy and security disagreements between the two allies had been building for some time.
A ministry spokesperson confirmed that following an inquiry from the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea provided a thorough background briefing on the minister's statements and believed the explanation had been accepted. Officials added that they were not aware of any formal protest or active restrictions on intelligence sharing.
Adding to the complexity, Minister Chung had attributed his Kusong claim to statements made by International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi during an IAEA board meeting. However, a review of the official IAEA transcript shows Grossi's remarks referenced only Yongbyon and Kangson, with no mention of Kusong.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul had not issued a comment at the time of reporting.
