South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Friday that remarks by Minister Chung Dong-young on North Korea’s Kusong nuclear enrichment site were based on public information. Chung is seen here testifying at the National Assembly on Wednesday. Photo by Yonhap
The unification ministry has explained to the United States that Unification Minister Chung Dong-young identified North Korea’s Kusong region as the third location housing a uranium enrichment facility based on publicly available information, officials said Friday.
In a rare revelation of information about North Korea, Chung said in a parliamentary session in March that North Korea is running another uranium enrichment facility in the northwestern region of Kusong, along with previously reported ones in Yongbyon and Kangson.
The local newspaper DongA Ilbo reported the U.S. has strongly protested to South Korea over Chung’s remarks, citing the revelation of sensitive information about the North. It said Washington has delivered its intent to limit sharing information with Seoul over North Korea.
The unification ministry said it explained the background of Chung’s remarks to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul at the request of the embassy.
“The minister mentioned Kusong based on publicly available information, including reports from international research institutes,” Chang Yoon-jeong, deputy spokesperson at the ministry, told a press briefing.
“We understand that we’ve not received any information about Kusong from other institutions,” she said, noting Seoul understands that the U.S. is aware of the situation through the ministry’s explanation.
The deputy spokesperson said the ministry is not aware of whether Washington protested against the minister’s remarks and also does not know whether there are restrictions on information sharing between South Korea and the U.S.
Seoul’s defense ministry did not verify the details, only saying the military maintains a close information-sharing system based on a robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture.
The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) said it is “aware” of the media report, without providing further details.
“USFK works alongside our ROK ally every day to deter aggression and maintain peace and stability on the peninsula,” it said, referring to South Korea by the acronym of its official name, the Republic of Korea.
Chung’s remarks on Kusong drew attention as the government previously officially identified Yongbyon and Kangson as the main locations hosting the North’s uranium enrichment facilities.
Yongbyon, north of Pyongyang, hosts the North’s key nuclear complex and Kangson is believed to be running the North’s secret nuclear facility. Kusong is located some 15 kilometers southwest of the capital.
In September 2024, North Korea publicly disclosed its uranium enrichment facility for the first time without revealing its location.
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