Unification minister rejects blame for US alliance tensions

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young rejected claims Monday that his remarks on a suspected North Korean uranium enrichment site prompted the U.S. to restrict intelligence sharing with Seoul, as the opposition stepped up calls for him to resign.

Chung told reporters that Washington misread the situation, arguing that his reference to the North's Kusong region was first made at his July 2025 confirmation hearing, not in March this year, when he raised it as a minister at a parliamentary session.

"The U.S.' misunderstanding was that intelligence had been shared, passed on to the unification minister and then somehow leaked by the minister. What I want to point out is that I made those remarks in July last year as a lawmaker, not as unification minister. The U.S. may have overlooked that. Had they known, they would not have raised the issue. They saw it as a leak because they thought I was speaking as minister. Even the U.S. can get the facts wrong," he said.

“The U.S. should have taken action against the National Assembly or the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), because I was a DPK lawmaker then. The U.S. took the wrong action.”

The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and some media outlets accused Chung of straining the alliance, saying his naming of Kusong as North Korea's uranium enrichment site prompted Washington to limit some intelligence sharing, reportedly starting in early April.

Chung also cast doubt on a weekend media report claiming that a visiting U.S. intelligence official sidestepped the National Intelligence Service (NIS), saying the official did meet with the spy agency. He did not identify who at the NIS met with the U.S. official.

The minister criticized the media for failing to ask Washington why it took issue with his March remarks, rather than his original comments.

"The media should ask the U.S. to explain that. I made those remarks in July as a lawmaker, so there was no wrongdoing on my part as a minister. The media should raise that point, but I have never seen any outlet do so," he said.

Chung said the alliance remains strong, describing friction with Washington as normal among allies.

“As for the South Korea-U.S. alliance and bilateral relations, every country allied with the U.S. is engaged in a tug-of-war with Washington over security and trade. All allies do this to protect their national interests and autonomy,” he said.

“We are no different. If we unilaterally accept 100 percent of what the U.S. demands, tensions would rise ... Allies share values, but their interests can conflict. Those interests cannot always align.”

He also pointed to the relationship between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“The presidents of South Korea and the U.S. have met four times in 13 months. There is also a possibility of a golf meeting in December. They have a bond and respect each other. Can you really say this alliance has broken down? Can you describe that kind of relationship as a broken alliance?”

Asked about calls for him and NIS Director Lee Jong-seok to step down, Chung said the demands amounted to "red-baiting." Both Chung and Lee have often been categorized by critics as "pro-engagement" with North Korea.

“What truly needs to be cast out of South Korea in 2026 is a biased view of the alliance and outdated red-baiting,” he said.