South Korea rubbishes ‘distorted’ John Bolton’s memoir on Trump-Kim summit

The former national security adviser claimed that President Moon had raised unrealistic expectations with both Kim and Trump for his own ‘unification’ agenda

His upcoming book also revealed that Washington demanded last year that Japan pay US$8 billion annually as expenses to host American troops

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US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un stand on the North Korean side of the demilitarised zone in Panmunjom. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:13pm, 22 Jun 2020Updated: 3:15pm, 22 Jun 2020

Accounts by former National Security Adviser John Bolton of discussions between leaders of the United States and the two Koreas in his upcoming book are inaccurate and distorted, South Korea said on Monday.

Bolton gives details in the book of conversations before and after three meetings between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, including how their second summit in Vietnam fell apart.

The book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, is scheduled for publication on Tuesday but media outlets have released excerpts.

Reports have cited Bolton as writing that President Moon Jae-in, who is keen to improve relations with North Korea, had raised unrealistic expectations with both Kim and Trump for his own “unification” agenda.

“It does not reflect accurate facts and substantially distorts facts,” South Korea’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, said in a statement referring to Bolton’s description of top-level consultations.

Chung did not elaborate on specific areas South Korea saw as inaccurate but said the publication set a “dangerous precedent”.