Choi Jong-geon: "Never Reviewed Five Eyes... North Korea's Yongbyon Not a Violation of Inter-Korean Agreement"

Choi Jong-geon, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, attended the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee plenary meeting held at the National Assembly on the 7th and gave a proposal explanation on the settlement of accounts. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Choi Jong-geon, the First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, responded to the question about South Korea's consideration of joining the U.S. intelligence-sharing alliance 'Five Eyes' by stating, "We have never officially reviewed it." Regarding the reactivation of the reactor at North Korea's Yongbyon nuclear facility, he said it does not violate inter-Korean agreements.

On the morning of the 7th, Vice Minister Choi attended the plenary session of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and replied to a question from Kim Young-joo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "We have never officially reviewed the issue of joining Five Eyes until now."

Regarding the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act recently passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes related provisions, Vice Minister Choi said, "The law does not state that Korea must participate, but rather instructs to review whether participation is possible and report on it," adding, "We are monitoring the movements of the U.S. Congress through local embassies and various channels."

Vice Minister Choi also responded to a question from Lee Tae-gyu of the People Party about whether the reactivation of the Yongbyon nuclear facility violates the spirit of the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration or the September 19 Pyongyang Joint Declaration, saying, "I do not think so," and noted that the visible measures taken by North Korea as part of the agreements are still ongoing.

Regarding the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report suggesting the possibility of reactor reactivation at the Yongbyon nuclear facility, he did not confirm the accuracy of the content but stated, "North Korea's major nuclear facilities are continuously monitored through South Korea-U.S. assets."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.