South Korean opposition chief seeks dismissals over claimed US-alliance strain

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok (장동혁) called for the immediate dismissal of Unification Minister Jeong Dong-yeong (정동영) and National Intelligence Service director Yi Jong-seok (이종석) on October 11, Korean outlets reported. In a Facebook post, he alleged that the US-South Korea alliance was moving beyond misunderstandings toward a breakdown and identified the two officials as central to that problem. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Jang cited alleged US restrictions on the provision of information about North Korea and visa difficulties affecting Korean officials. Newsis reported that he said the intelligence service had been unable to attend a US-South Korea-Japan meeting on North Korean cyberattacks and that visas for intelligence personnel due to be sent to Washington had been denied. He also referred to a visa delay that prevented a Democratic Party lawmaker from attending parliamentary audit activities in the United States. [ 1 ]

Jang accused the unification minister of disclosing joint US-South Korean secrets and siding with North Korea over a mine incident. He accused the intelligence chief of opposing alliance-related arrangements and advocating security cooperation with China. These were accusations made by Jang in the reports. He argued that damage to the alliance would lead to a collapse in national security and then harm the economy and people's livelihoods, and called on the public to act. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Maeil Business reported that Jang cited the intelligence service's position that there was currently no misunderstanding between the two countries' intelligence agencies. The outlet also relayed his account of a US State Department statement that South Korea was expected to uphold longstanding alliance standards, particularly on intelligence and counterintelligence. Jang interpreted that statement as a warning that the Korean government was breaching those standards. [ 3 ]