File photo: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung

The United States has partially banned sharing of satellite intelligence north korea with South Korea after Seoul’s unification minister’s comments about a suspicious nuclear facility, according to media reports.Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told parliament last month that North Korea is believed to be operating a uranium enrichment site in the Kusong area, a claim Washington said disclosed sensitive intelligence without permission. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap and other local media outlets, the US has since “limited” some satellite information that was previously regularly shared with Seoul.An unnamed South Korean military official was quoted as saying that the sanctions have been in place “since the beginning of this month” but “will not have any significant impact on military preparedness.” The official said intelligence sharing on North Korea’s military activities continues “as normal” between the two allies, according to AFP.

Controversy over alleged intelligence leak

The issue has triggered a political backlash in South Korea, with opposition parties accusing Chung of damaging relations with Washington. However, the minister defended his comments, calling it “extremely regrettable” that they were seen as a leak, and stressed that the information was based on publicly available sources.President Lee Jae Myung also supported Chung, saying that the existence of the Kusong facility was already widely known through academic research and media reports. “Any claims…that Minister Chung leaked classified information…are false,” he said, according to a Reuters report.

Strategic alliance under scrutiny

Although neither South Korea’s Defense Ministry nor the Pentagon officially confirmed the sanctions, officials stressed that extensive intelligence cooperation remains intact. The US maintains about 28,500 troops in South Korea and regularly shares intelligence gathered through satellites and other surveillance systems.North Korea is already known to operate uranium enrichment facilities at Yongbyon and Kangsan, and has continued to expand its nuclear capabilities in defiance of international sanctions.The development comes amid growing concerns over Pyongyang’s nuclear program, with the UN nuclear watchdog recently warning of a “very serious increase” in its ability to produce nuclear weapons.