South Korea says not aware of U.S. protest over minister's remarks on North Korea nuclear site
Published: 17 Apr. 2026, 13:25
![Unification Minister Chung Dong-young during an event in Seoul to mark the opening of tourist rail service to Dorasan Station near the inter-Korean border on April 10. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/04/17/b6e5ae23-9161-4e80-b1c9-ca05356564af.jpg)
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young during an event in Seoul to mark the opening of tourist rail service to Dorasan Station near the inter-Korean border on April 10. [NEWS1]
South Korea's Ministry of Unification said on Friday it was not aware of any U.S. protest or curbs on intelligence sharing following a report that Washington was unhappy about the disclosure of a previously unconfirmed North Korean nuclear site.
The ministry said it had explained to the U.S. side that Minister Chung Dong-young's public remarks about a North Korean nuclear facility at Kusong were based on publicly available information, including international research reports, and understood that its explanation had been accepted.
The United States had conveyed its displeasure to Seoul after Chung said in a parliamentary hearing on March 6 that North Korea had a uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, alongside well-known sites in Yongbyon and Kangson, according to reports from the Dong-a Ilbo.
The newspaper, citing sources in South Korea and the United States, said Washington had indicated it would partially restrict the sharing of North Korea-related intelligence with Seoul, with Chung's remarks serving as the trigger amid broader accumulated U.S. frustration over a series of bilateral foreign and security disagreements.
A ministry spokesperson said at a press briefing that it had "sufficiently explained the background" on Chung's remarks after an inquiry from the U.S. embassy in South Korea and understood that "the U.S. side had accepted" the explanation.
The spokesperson also said the ministry was not aware of any protest or measures to restrict intelligence sharing from the United States.
The Ministry said that if there had been any U.S. measures, it did not believe they were directly related to the minister's comments, according to a separate comment made to Reuters.
The U.S. embassy in Seoul gave no immediate comment.
Chung told the parliamentary committee in March that North Korea had been enriching weapons-grade uranium at Yongbyon, Kangson and Kusong, citing remarks by International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi at a board of governors meeting that month.
The IAEA transcript of Grossi's introductory statement shows he mentioned only facilities at Yongbyon and Kangson, with no reference to Kusong.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)