Democratic Party to PPP: "Do Not Use Soldiers' Lives as Political Tools Over DMZ Landmine Incident"

"Risk Assessment and Safety Measures Must Come Before On-Site Investigation"
"Every Step of the Accident Investigation Will Be Thoroughly Monitored"

The Democratic Party of Korea has criticized attacks from the People Power Party over the recent suspected landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), calling them a politicization that ignores the safety of soldiers.

Shin Hyun-young, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said in a statement on the 25th, "The People Power Party accused the government of intentionally delaying the on-site investigation of the DMZ landmine explosion, claimed 'tampering with evidence,' and even went so far as to mention 'treason' and 'impeachment.'"

Spokesperson Shin emphasized, "The military has already begun investigating the accident. Nevertheless, the People Power Party is misleading the public into believing that our military is purposefully delaying the scene investigation for some political purpose and is pressuring them to 'enter the site immediately.'"

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon is holding a one-person protest on the 24th in front of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, calling for an immediate investigation into the suspected landmine explosion accident in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Photo by Yonhap News

She continued, "This accident occurred while developing a new search route to the Military Demarcation Line to facilitate on-site investigations for the United Nations Command. Unless there is a thorough risk assessment and adequate safety measures for the area, the safety of our soldiers during the site investigation cannot be guaranteed."

She added, "What the National Assembly should be doing now is not pushing soldiers into danger zones, but rather supporting the treatment and recovery of the wounded soldiers and helping ensure that the accident's cause is identified transparently, with the military having secured safety."

Kim Byungjoo, a retired four-star general and a member of the Democratic Party, also criticized independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon's solo protest in front of the Ministry of National Defense on his Facebook page on the same day. Assemblyman Han, the previous day, had urged the government to launch an immediate on-site investigation, accusing the Lee Jae-myung administration of not doing so even three days after the explosion.

Kim Byungjoo, member of the Democratic Party of Korea. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Assemblyman Kim responded, "Conflating combat readiness and accident scene inspections is tantamount to telling subordinates to march to their deaths," adding, "On ground where additional landmines may be hidden, we must proceed step by step with utmost caution, confirming safety as we go and creating a path."

He further stated, "It has already been confirmed that the area where the landmine was buried can still harm people. Urging, 'Send in investigators, even if it means deploying new personnel,' is the same mindset as political prosecutors of the past who, without any compassion, demanded a culprit be found even by manipulation."

Kim concluded, "Using the injured soldiers as a tool for political dispute should not occur, regardless of party. As ruling party secretary of the National Defense Committee, I will thoroughly oversee the entire investigation of this accident until the end."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.