Jeong Dongyoung: "Very Regrettable to Frame Policy Explanation as Information Leak... Suspicious Motives"

by Son Seonhee

Published 20 Apr.2026 13:53(KST)

Updated 21 Apr.2026 07:56(KST)

Jeong Dongyoung, Minister of Unification, expressed deep regret on April 20 regarding the partial restriction of information sharing by the United States following his comments mentioning "Guseong" as the location of North Korea's nuclear facilities. He said, "I was explaining policy, so it is very regrettable to frame it as a leak of information."

Jeong Dongyoung, Minister of Unification, enters the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 20th, responding to reporters' questions regarding recent remarks about the locations of North Korea's nuclear facilities. April 20, 2026. Photo by Jo Yongjun

That afternoon at the Government Complex Seoul, Minister Jeong told reporters, "I am concerned that, in the midst of heightened security due to the Middle East war, some are spreading rumors of a crisis in South Korea-U.S. relations when there is no issue at all." He added, "I hope people will refrain from overinterpretation and unfounded criticism."

Minister Jeong reiterated that the fact North Korea has a third nuclear facility in Guseong has already been disclosed on various occasions, including in a paper published by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a U.S. think tank, and has been reported multiple times in both domestic and international media. He recalled mentioning "Guseong" during his confirmation hearing in July of last year, and expressed his discomfort by saying, "No one raised any issues at the time, so I find it suspicious that the matter is suddenly being brought up nine months later."

In response to opposition party calls for his dismissal, Minister Jeong argued, "The problem lies in framing publicly available information as a leak, not in assigning responsibility. I believe it is inconsistent to talk about responsibility in this context."

When asked who was responsible for "framing it as a leak of information," he replied, "I'm not sure," and declined to elaborate. Regarding the view that there is a conflict between the so-called "alliance faction" and "independent faction" within the government, he said, "I don't see it that way."