Seoul, Oct 12 (IANS) South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Monday dismissed concerns that the South Korea-US alliance is weakening, saying the two allies share common values even when their interests diverge.
Chung made the remarks during a meeting with reporters, as the opposition has accused him of undermining the alliance, citing controversy over US restrictions on intelligence-sharing with South Korea following his remarks about a suspected North Korean uranium enrichment facility in Kusong and other issues.
“An alliance shares values, but interests can be aligned or conflicting,” Chung said. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with the South Korea-US alliance right now. What is wrong with it?”
Stressing that Seoul cannot simply accept every demand from Washington, Chung said US allies seek to protect their own national interests and autonomy, and South Korea is no exception, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The minister described a summit between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump in New York last month as a “milestone” in advancing South Korea’s national interests.
Chung said the dispute over intelligence-sharing stemmed from a misunderstanding, arguing that his remarks about the Kusong facility were made in July last year, when he was a lawmaker, not a government minister.
“The original remarks about the Kusong facility were made during my confirmation hearing in July last year,” he said. “I explained the circumstances to US officials and asked the South Korean ambassador to the United States to explain them as well.”
On Sunday, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) said that, despite acknowledged restrictions in certain areas, South Korea and the US continued to cooperate across a broad range of intelligence matters, including North Korean missiles and conventional military capabilities.
The NIS also denied reports that the overall volume of intelligence shared by Washington had declined.
Chung rejected calls by the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) and other critics for his dismissal, as well as calls for the dismissal of NIS Director Lee Jong-seok.
“Such calls for dismissal and resignation demands are just ideological smear,” Chung said. “What should be driven out in 2026 is ideological labelling.”
–IANS
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