Unification Minister Chung Dong-young on Monday rejected claims of growing strains in the South Korea-US alliance, while urging news outlets to exercise caution when reporting on relations with Washington and North Korea.
Speaking at a press conference at the Unification Ministry headquarters in Seoul, Chung pushed back against recent reports suggesting that a series of disputes between Seoul and Washington reflect a deterioration in the alliance.
“There is absolutely nothing wrong with the South Korea-US alliance,” Chung said.
Chung said disagreements between allies were natural, noting that other US allies also negotiate with Washington when their national interests diverge.
He also criticized what he described as reporting based on fragmentary facts, saying individual developments could give a distorted picture when removed from their broader context.
His remarks came amid recent media reports suggesting that a visiting US intelligence official had bypassed South Korea’s intelligence chief and instead met the presidential national security adviser.
“When I actually checked, they had met,” Chung said, calling the report “completely fake news.”
