SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- Unification Minister Chung Dong-young dismissed concerns Monday that the South Korea-U.S. 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 U.S. restrictions on intelligence-sharing with South Korea following his remarks about a suspected North Korean uranium enrichment facility in Kusong and other issues.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young arrives at the government complex in Seoul on Oct. 12, 2026. (Yonhap)
"An alliance shares values, but interests can be aligned or conflicting," Chung said. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with the South Korea-U.S. alliance right now. What is wrong with it?"
Stressing that Seoul cannot simply accept every demand from Washington, Chung said U.S. allies seek to protect their own national interests and autonomy, and South Korea is no exception.
The minister described a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 labeling."
This photo, released by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff on Oct. 5, 2026, captures the moment of a mine-clearing operation conducted by the South Korean military on that day in response to the Sept. 21 mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone that Seoul has blamed on Pyongyang. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
Chung also defended his characterization of last month's land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as an accident, reiterating that it was difficult to conclusively determine whether the incident was a deliberate attack by North Korea.
"South and North Korea and the U.N. Command (UNC) use different reference lines. The fundamental issue is the need to align the military demarcation lines," Chung said. "The priority should be to prevent similar incidents from happening again."
His characterization has faced criticism, as the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said last week that its joint investigation with the UNC found that mines planted by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) caused the explosion on Sept. 21, injuring three South Korean soldiers, two of them seriously.
The JCS said the mine-laying violated the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War and called on Pyongyang to apologize.
North Korea has dismissed Seoul's findings as fabricated and warned that it would retaliate if South Korea takes corresponding action.
graceoh@yna.co.kr
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