Kang Ik-hyun, Policy Committee Chairman of the Freedom and Innovation Party, holds a press conference in front of the Government Complex on the 24th. [Capture from Freedom and Innovation TV]

The Freedom and Innovation Party strongly criticized Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young for revealing the location of North Korea's nuclear facilities.

At a press conference held in front of the main gate of the Government Complex in Seoul, where the Ministry of Unification is located, at 3 p.m. on the 24th, Policy Committee Chairman Kang Ik-hyun stated, "Freedom and Innovation strongly condemns the Unification Minister's leakage of classified information about North Korea's nuclear facilities and the President's protection of him."

Kang said, "On March 6, Minister Jeong publicly specified in the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee that North Korea's uranium enrichment facility is located in Guseong, North Pyongan Province." He added, "This is a grave security breach where information provided by the United States was leaked in an official setting, and the Defense Intelligence Agency confirmed that all related information is classified as a US-ROK joint secret."

He continued, "This incident allows North Korea to buy time to conceal or move its facilities, essentially handing over the US's intelligence assets to North Korea, our primary adversary. The United States has immediately restricted the provision of satellite information on North Korea, and it has been confirmed that the Commander of the US Forces in Korea conveyed protest intentions to the South Korean government."

He further pointed out, "Minister Jeong explained that he cited reports from BIS and CSIS, but the BIS report by Dr. David Albright, a North Korean nuclear expert, suggested the location is near the Banghyon Air Base in North Pyongan Province and requires further confirmation. Victor Cha, a distinguished fellow at CSIS, publicly refuted this, stating he never authored such a report. A minister of a nation trying to evade responsibility by referencing US think tanks and subsequently suffering public humiliation before the international community severely damages the dignity of the Republic of Korea."

He also stated, "Even if the information was reported in the news, the act of a high-ranking government official officially confirming it is a basic security breach. What is even more serious is the fact that President Lee Jae-myung actively defended Minister Jeong through social media during his visit to India."

Kang stated, "This act, which bestows legitimacy rather than issuing a warning or demanding an apology, is an action that fundamentally shakes the trust in the ROK-US alliance." He added, "The biggest victims of the US's restriction of information sharing are not the Ministry of Unification, but the National Intelligence Service and the Ministry of National Defense, which stand on the front lines of national security, and the damage ultimately directly impacts the security of all the citizens of the Republic of Korea."

In response, Freedom and Innovation strongly urged for: ▲ Minister Jeong Dong-young's immediate resignation and legal punishment ▲ President Lee Jae-myung's apology to the public and the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence ▲ The government's immediate action to restore the US's provision of information on North Korea.

Kang emphasized, "We declare that the ROK-US alliance and the security of the Republic of Korea, defended with blood and sweat, must take precedence over any political interests."