South Korea Unification Minister Accused of Leaking North Korea Nuclear Site Remarks

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young rejected allegations that his reference to North Korea's Kusong as a uranium enrichment site constituted a leak of classified information. Chung made the remarks to reporters on Thursday in Seoul on April 23, 2026. Yonhap reported that he dismissed the criticism as an overblown political trick.

Opposition lawmakers called for Chung Dong-young's removal following his identification of Kusong, Yongbyon, and Kangson as regions housing uranium enrichment facilities for North Korea's nuclear weapons program. The identification occurred during a parliamentary session last month. Seoul and Washington officially recognized Yongbyon and Kangson as the only uranium enrichment sites.

The United States criticized Chung Dong-young's remarks as disclosing classified information shared by Washington. Opposition lawmakers also criticized the remarks as disclosing classified information shared by Washington. Chung Dong-young stated that his remarks were based on publicly available information.

Chung Dong-young stated that his remarks were meant to highlight the urgency of addressing North Korea's nuclear issue. He rejected the criticism as an overblown political trick on Thursday. ' Chung Dong-young stated that his reference to Kusong as a nuclear site was based on information long available in expert reports and news articles.

He stated that his reference to Kusong did not amount to a leak of intelligence. U.S. relations.

Yonhap reported that Chung talked to reporters in Seoul on April 23, 2026, amid the ongoing dispute. The minister emphasized that the issue stemmed from public sources and should not escalate into a broader conflict.