JAKARTA - South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's statement about the alleged new location of North Korea's (North Korea) nuclear facility has sparked the attention of the United States. According to Yonhap quoted on Friday, April 17, Seoul confirmed that the information came from open sources, not classified data.
The statement was made by Chung at a parliamentary hearing in March. He referred to the Kusong area as the location of North Korea's third uranium enrichment facility, in addition to Yongbyon and Kangson.
As reported by Yonhap, local media DongA Ilbo said Washington had expressed objections because it was afraid that sensitive information would be exposed. There were even concerns about restrictions on information exchange between the two countries.
South Korea's Unification Ministry said it had explained this to the US Embassy in Seoul. Deputy spokesman Chang Yoon-jeong said the minister's statement was based on reports from international research institutes that were publicly available.
"The minister's statement on Kusong is based on information available to the public," Chang said.
He emphasized that the government did not receive any specific information from other institutions related to Kusong. Seoul also stated that it was not aware of any official protests from Washington or restrictions on sharing information.
The South Korean Defense Ministry did not confirm the details. They only confirmed that defense cooperation with the US continued and the information exchange system remained close.
The United States Forces Korea (USFK) said it was aware of the media reports, but did not provide additional details.
Chung's statement came under scrutiny as the South Korean government had previously only officially named Yongbyon and Kangson as the main locations of North Korea's uranium enrichment facilities.
Yongbyon is known as the main nuclear complex in the north of Pyongyang, North Korea. While Kangson is suspected to be the location of a secret facility. Kusong itself is about 15 kilometers from the North Korean capital.
In September 2024, North Korea for the first time revealed the existence of a uranium enrichment facility, but without mentioning its location.
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