Unification minister's mention of North's uranium enrichment site based on public information: Ministry
Published: 19 Apr. 2026, 16:27
![Unification Minister Chung Dong-yong attends a hearing of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 15. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/04/19/629d7470-21b0-4adb-8600-1bea54877386.jpg)
Unification Minister Chung Dong-yong attends a hearing of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 15. [NEWS1]
Remarks by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young that divulged the existence of a hitherto unknown North Korean uranium enrichment site were based on publicly available information, according to the South Korean Ministry of Unification on Sunday.
Chung did not receive any classified information from other agencies when he referred to a uranium enrichment site in Kusong, North Pyongan Province, the ministry said, and Seoul had “sufficiently explained” the context of his comments to Washington.
Chung was the first South Korean official to mention the existence of a third uranium enrichment site besides the already disclosed facilities in Yongbyon, North Pyongan Province, and Kangson, Nampo, when he spoke to lawmakers on the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee last month.
His remarks triggered backlash from U.S. officials, who warned that intelligence sharing with South Korea could be cut back.
In its explanation, the Unification Ministry said suspicions about a uranium enrichment site in Kusong date back years, citing a 2016 report by the Institute for Science and International Security and subsequent coverage by research institutions and media outlets.
“Chung’s references to Kusong alongside Yongbyon and Kangson were intended to emphasize the seriousness and urgency of the North Korean nuclear issue based on such open-source information,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that Chung had made similar remarks during his confirmation hearing last year, underscoring that the reference was not new.
Opposition lawmakers from the conservative People Power Party, including floor leader Song Eon-seog, have called for Chung’s dismissal.
Some domestic media have reported that Washington has already reduced the intelligence shared with Seoul.
In response, the ministry urged media outlets to “handle the matter based on facts,” reiterating that no information on Kusong had been provided by the National Intelligence Service or the Defense Ministry.
The episode is being seen by some observers as an example of friction between Seoul and Washington regarding their differing policy approaches to Pyongyang.
However, South Korean officials insist there is no indication that the United States had curtailed the sharing of critical intelligence.
Information exchanges proceeded as usual following North Korea’s latest missile launch earlier Saturday, according to officials who spoke to the JoongAng Ilbo.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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