Na Kyungwon: "Military Ignored UN Command's Probe of North Korean Mine-Laying... Joint Hearing Needed"

On September 28, Na Kyung-won, a member of the People Power Party, called for a joint hearing involving the National Assembly's Defense, Foreign Affairs and Unification, and Intelligence Committees regarding the landmine explosion accident that occurred in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. Assemblywoman Na stated, "It is clear that this accident was caused by a North Korean wooden box mine," adding, "It is this administration that continues to deny and cover up the incident."

Na Kyung-won, a member of the People Power Party, is questioning Prime Minister Han Seong-sook during the political sector interpellation held at the National Assembly plenary session on September 9, 2026. Photo by Dongju Yoon

At a press conference held at the National Assembly's Communications Center that afternoon, Assemblywoman Na remarked, “The United Nations Command conveyed the need for an investigation into North Korean landmine-laying activities crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) through fact sheets and other means in June, but the government ignored it. This is a blatant dereliction of duty," she said.

According to Assemblywoman Na, on June 23, the United Nations Command stated in a fact sheet that "an investigation is underway into North Korea’s cross-MDL landmine emplacement, and we will cooperate with the Republic of Korea Operations Command on the investigation." The United Nations Command also expressed to the South Korean government the necessity of an investigation, but no significant actions were taken.

Regarding this, Assemblywoman Na said, "Since the issuance of the United Nations Command’s fact sheet in June up until the date of the accident, I have requested documentation and records of all official correspondence and discussions exchanged between the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Ground Operations Command, the 1st Corps, and the 25th Division with the United Nations Command, but there has been no response." She asserted, "Ultimately, it is the Lee Jaemyung administration that has sent our soldiers into harm’s way."

Regarding reports that soldiers on the scene witnessed North Korean wooden box mines, Na said, "It is a well-known fact that if a person is wearing overshoes, the South Korean M14 mine does not cause complete amputation of the ankle, yet Minister of National Defense Kang Shinchul is muddying the issue by saying, 'There is other testimony.' This is typical behavior for a minister who cannot call North Korea our main adversary."

Assemblywoman Na also stated, citing confirmation from multiple military sources, "This incident did not involve just a single explosion; soldiers who went in for rescue were also caught in a blast. In short, the mines formed a group, which further proves that these were not lost mines but rather deliberately buried mines."

Looking ahead, Assemblywoman Na said she would introduce a resolution to call for a thorough investigation into both the suspected North Korean landmine-laying explosion incident and the alleged concealment or downplaying of soldiers' injuries by the government, as well as to support the recovery and recognition of the wounded soldiers. She emphasized that, "In order to ascertain the truth, it is essential that experts recommended by the opposition party be included on the investigation team."

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