South Korea’s unification minister rejects claims that US alliance is weakening

South Korea’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young rejected opposition claims that the alliance with the United States is weakening.

Speaking at a briefing in Seoul, he said the two countries’ leaders had met four times in a year and that their relationship remained strong.

Opposition politicians have called for Chung to be removed, linking him to concerns about the alliance and a dispute over information sharing with the United States.

Chung said the disputed remark about a North Korean uranium facility was made in July 2025, before he became minister, and that he later clarified its context through diplomatic channels.

He also said the United States had mistaken it for a comment he made as minister in March.

Chung argued that allies can have disagreements over trade and security without their alliance being broken.

He said a recent mine incident near the Demilitarized Zone differed from a 2015 attack, and that officials were still checking what happened.

The briefing did not set out any next steps on the opposition’s calls for his removal.