South Korea presidency says much of Bolton’s memoir ‘distorted’

Yonhap via The Korea Herald/Asia News Network

SEOUL — The office of President Moon Jae-in on Monday strongly criticized former White House National Security Adviser John Bolton for his “distorted” account of what happened in brisk summit diplomacy last year involving the leaders of the United States and the two Koreas.

Chung Eui-yong, director of national security at Cheong Wa Dae, said in a statement that “A considerable portion of it is distorted.”

He played it down as based on what Bolton had seen from his “own viewpoint,” not “accurate facts,” accusing him of unilaterally disclosing details of diplomatic consultations based on trust among relevant governments.

Chung said it represents a violation of the basic principle of diplomacy, which could harm the sincerity of future negotiations “very seriously.”

He added such an “inappropriate” act could also undermine the allies’ efforts to advance joint strategies and bolster security interests.

He expressed hope the US government would take an appropriate measure to prevent “such a dangerous case” from recurring.

Cheong Wa Dae said it delivered Chung’s position to the US National Security Council on Sunday.

In a separate statement, Yoon Do-han, Cheong Wa Dae’s senior secretary for public communication, said it’s not proper to offer such a “distorted” account, based on “bias and prejudice,” in connection with “candid and constructive” consultations between the leaders of the allies on the Korean Peninsula peace and an improvement in inter-Korean relations.

It represented the first official response by Moon’s office to a flood of news reports on Bolton’s upcoming memoir, entitled “The Room Where It Happened.” Yonhap