The US has restricted South Korea’s access to North Korea’s nuclear intelligence after details of the Kusong facility were leaked, according to sources. Concerns are growing in Seoul about a rift in cooperation.
The United States has reportedly restricted South Korea’s access to intelligence related to North Korea’s nuclear facilities. They are said to have done so to protest South Korea’s Unification Minister Jong Tong-yong’s disclosure of information about the Kusong (DPRK) uranium enrichment facility, sources said on Monday. TASR informs about it according to a report by the Jonhap agency.
The US has reportedly restricted the sharing of information obtained from satellites. South Korea’s military says Washington’s decision has not affected its preparedness in any way, but fears remain that a gap could arise in its ability to monitor the situation in the North.
Concerns about disruption of cooperation
The restriction is said to have come after the Unification Minister named North Korea’s Kusong region as one of three locations where uranium enrichment facilities are located during a parliamentary session last month. It was a rare release of information about North Korea.
According to Jonhap, the US has expressed displeasure with the release of the data, which it believes is based on intelligence provided by Washington. The Ministry of Unification said last week that the head of the department used “publicly available information” in his remarks.
So far, neither Seoul nor Washington have officially confirmed that there is a nuclear facility at Kusong, identifying only Jongbjon and Kangson. However, there has been speculation since 2010 that nuclear facilities had been located at Kusong, with a US think tank identifying the site as a potential uranium enrichment site in 2016.
Seoul’s military officials say the restriction has had no immediate impact on their ability to gather intelligence. At the same time, the army is trying to secure its own military reconnaissance satellites.
