South Korea Questions John Bolton’s Mental Health Ahead of Book Publication
‘SUBSTANTIALLY DISTORTS FACTS’
Reuters / Kevin Lamarque
South Korea has dismissed John Bolton’s account of discussions between President Trump and the two Koreas as inaccurate and distorted, Reuters reports. The former national security adviser has dominated headlines over the past week as excerpts from his book, The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir, have dripped out ahead of this week’s release. In the book, Bolton reportedly gives details of conversations between Trump, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Bolton accuses Moon of placing a strain on the discussions by raising unrealistic expectations with both Kim and Trump for the unification of the Koreas. “It does not reflect accurate facts and substantially distorts facts,” said South Korea’s national security adviser, Chung Eui-yong, adding that the claims in the book “could severely damage future negotiations” between the countries. At one point in the book, Bolton reportedly refers to Moon’s position as “schizophrenic.” Asked about that reference from Bolton, a top official in Moon’s office told reporters: “Perhaps he is in that condition.”