“South Korea-U.S. Alliance Is Fine,” Chung Dongyoung Claims; Half a Day Later, Kang Kyungwha Says, “Communication with U.S. Has Limits; Frustrating”

[2026 Parliamentary Audit] Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Audits South Korean Embassy in the U.S.

Kang Kyungwha, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, said on the 12th (local time), responding to claims of a breakdown in communication through South Korea-U.S. diplomatic and security channels, “I acknowledge that there are limits to communication with the White House.” She added, “High-level consultations are not taking place to the extent I would like, which is frustrating even for me at this point.” Regarding the United States’ restrictions on sharing intelligence about North Korea since the first half of this year, she also said, “I don't think the issue has been sufficiently resolved to the extent the U.S. side expects.”

Kang Kyung-wha, South Korea's ambassador to the United States, speaks during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C., on the 12th (local time). 2026.10.13 Yonhap News Agency

Just half a day earlier, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young had called an unscheduled press briefing in South Korea and claimed, “It is entirely untrue that the South Korea-U.S. alliance is wavering.” Kang, however, spoke at the parliamentary audit about difficulties in communication between the two countries’ diplomatic channels. With Chung, a standing member of the National Security Council (NSC), and Kang, who is considered a cabinet-level official, offering diametrically opposed assessments of the situation between the two countries, confusion within the diplomatic and security apparatus is expected to spread further.

The “trigger” for the U.S. intelligence restrictions was a remark by Chung in March about the “Kusong nuclear facility.” The United States subsequently restricted intelligence sharing on North Korea for more than six months. Controversy also erupted after it emerged belatedly that, in June, the U.S. side had specifically requested that the National Intelligence Service be excluded from a South Korea-U.S.-Japan cyber consultative body. Asked what the most difficult issue was in South Korea-U.S. relations, Kang said, “Intelligence cooperation is discussed the most.” She added that at the South Korea-U.S. foreign ministers’ meeting held in Washington, D.C., last month, “the U.S. side said there were problems with intelligence cooperation.”

Meanwhile, regarding the possibility of a North Korea-U.S. summit, Kang said, “As far as I know, there has been no concrete progress yet.” Despite President Donald Trump’s steady “conciliatory gestures,” she reiterated that “there are no concrete signs, such as efforts to coordinate the agenda for a meeting between North Korea and the United States.”

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