South Korea’s Defense Ministry on Monday denied a claim that the commander of U.S. Forces Korea protested to Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back over a controversy involving Unification Minister Jung Dong-young’s remarks about a North Korean nuclear facility.
In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the ministry said it was “not appropriate in terms of South Korea-U.S. military diplomacy” and “not true at all” that the U.S. commander lodged a protest with the defense minister.
The ministry added that South Korea and the United States communicate frequently on major issues and strictly comply with their military information protection agreement.
Sung Il-jong, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party and chair of the National Assembly Defense Committee, said at a news conference Monday morning that, based on information he had obtained as committee chair, the U.S. Forces Korea commander “urgently” visited Ahn to strongly protest Jung’s mention of Guseong as the location of a third North Korean nuclear facility.
Sung also claimed that the U.S. Embassy’s intelligence chief strongly protested the matter to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.
Jung said Sunday, “I explained the policy to describe the seriousness of the North Korean nuclear issue, and it is deeply regrettable to frame this as an information leak.”
In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the ministry said it was “not appropriate in terms of South Korea-U.S. military diplomacy” and “not true at all” that the U.S. commander lodged a protest with the defense minister.
The ministry added that South Korea and the United States communicate frequently on major issues and strictly comply with their military information protection agreement.
Sung Il-jong, a lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party and chair of the National Assembly Defense Committee, said at a news conference Monday morning that, based on information he had obtained as committee chair, the U.S. Forces Korea commander “urgently” visited Ahn to strongly protest Jung’s mention of Guseong as the location of a third North Korean nuclear facility.
Sung also claimed that the U.S. Embassy’s intelligence chief strongly protested the matter to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.
Jung said Sunday, “I explained the policy to describe the seriousness of the North Korean nuclear issue, and it is deeply regrettable to frame this as an information leak.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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