The Unification Ministry stated that it has not received any information regarding North Korean nuclear facilities in the Guseong region from any other agencies. Unification Ministry spokesperson Yoon Min-ho reiterated this during a regular briefing on the 20th, echoing a statement made by Minister Jeong Dong-young during his confirmation hearing in July of the previous year.
Minister Jeong previously mentioned at the National Assembly on the 6th that there is a uranium enrichment facility in Guseong, following those in Yongbyon and Kangson. This led to complaints from the U.S., suggesting that confidential information shared between South Korea and the U.S. had been disclosed.
Amid the ongoing controversy, the U.S. responded by halting the sharing of some North Korea-related information, raising concerns about potential conflicts between South Korea and the U.S.
Yoon Min-ho stated that Minister Jeong’s comments on the uranium enrichment facility were based on open information from reports by foreign research institutions and domestic and international media sources. He noted that the details about the Guseong uranium enrichment facility were already in reports by U.S. research institutions.
He cited several sources, including a 2016 report from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a 2024 interview with Dr. Bruce Bennett, and a 2025 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and offered to provide the related materials.
When asked if the restriction of information by the U.S. had any causal relationship with Minister Jeong’s remarks, Yoon replied that he did not know about the U.S.’s information restrictions and had no information to confirm, stating he would not connect it with Minister Jeong’s comments.