Chung Dongyoung Rebuts Opposition's 'Calls for Resignation': "2026-Style Red-Baiting... No Problems with South Korea-U.S. Ties"

Unification Minister Chung Dongyoung directly rejected opposition calls for his resignation on the 12th, saying, "What needs to be driven out is the 'politics of ideological rivalry in 2026,'" and "What needs to be dismissed is not me, but a biased view of the alliance."

Unification Minister Chung Dongyoung. Yonhap News Agency

Speaking at a press briefing at Government Complex-Seoul that morning, Minister Chung said, "There is absolutely nothing wrong with the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

Concerns about a "rift in the South Korea-U.S. alliance" have mounted following the late disclosure that, after Minister Chung's remarks in March about "a uranium enrichment facility in Kusong, North Korea," intelligence sharing on North Korea was partially restricted, and that in June he called for the National Intelligence Service to be excluded from a South Korea-U.S.-Japan meeting on responding to cyber threats.

In response, Minister Chung asked, "Among the countries allied with the United States, which one does not engage in a tug-of-war over security and trade?" He added, "What are our national interests and autonomy?" He went on to say, "Even if individual facts are true, they can be distorted when viewed outside their broader context," and reiterated, "The opposition's claim that the alliance has been undermined is entirely untrue."

Asked why he had still not met with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel, who has been in office for more than two months, he avoided a direct answer, saying, "I hope to meet her soon."

Regarding the landmine planted by North Korea that exploded in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) last month, injuring South Korean soldiers, Minister Chung said, "We are verifying North Korea's intentions," and repeated his established position that "in the broader context, the key is to align the Military Demarcation Line (MDL)." He also called the explosion an "accident" rather than an "incident," a term that implies intent.

Asked about reports of a conflict between the so-called "pro-alliance" and "self-reliance" factions among the standing members of the National Security Council (NSC), he responded indirectly: "The Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of National Defense, the National Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs each have their own reason for existence. There can be no progress if everyone thinks alike. The NSC's role is to coordinate and reconcile the views of ministries with different purposes." This was interpreted as a partial acknowledgment of internal differences, while signaling his intention to work toward reconciling them.

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