Blue House: "DMZ Landmine Site Investigation Completely Unrelated to President Lee's UN Speech"

"Decision Made Solely on Military Judgment by Joint Chiefs and UN Command"

Refuting Allegations of Delayed Investigation Due to Consideration of North Korea Messaging

The Blue House on the 29th directly refuted allegations that the delay in the on-site investigation into the landmine explosion accident in the western frontline Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was due to President Lee Jae-myung’s keynote address at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. The Blue House explained that the timing and method of the field investigation were decided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United Nations Command, based on recommendations from field commanders, and that this decision was unrelated to the President’s message to North Korea.

President Lee Jae-myung commuting to the Blue House on the 29th, marking the official start of the Blue House era again after 3 years and 7 months, with the Phoenix flag flying at the Blue House in Seoul. 2025.12.29 Photo by Jo Yongjun

In a press release issued on this day, the Blue House stated, "The military's on-site investigation of the landmine accident has absolutely no connection to the President's speech at the United Nations." The statement further emphasized, "The military's field investigation was planned and decided solely on military judgment by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the United Nations Command, after considering recommendations from field commanders."

This response comes as doubts were raised over whether the investigation, which formally began on the 27th despite the accident occurring on the 21st, was delayed to accommodate President Lee's UN General Assembly speech schedule.

On the 23rd, two days after the accident, President Lee presented his vision for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula in his keynote speech at the UN General Assembly. The vision included 'inclusive coexistence' based on mutual respect and acceptance of differences between the two Koreas, 'stable coexistence' through de-escalation and crisis management, and 'responsible coexistence' grounded in international law and mutual responsibility.

According to the investigation progress released by the military the previous day, the accident took place at approximately 10:51 a.m. on the 21st in the DMZ under the jurisdiction of the 25th Division of the Army in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. The explosion occurred while troops were pioneering a new search route to identify suspected changes in terrain believed to result from North Korean troops planting landmines near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Three soldiers sustained moderate to severe injuries from the explosion, and all 18 operational personnel were transported to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff explained that immediately after the accident, they coordinated a joint investigation with the United Nations Command. From the 22nd to the 23rd, medical treatment and stabilization of the injured soldiers took place. On the 24th and 25th, a task force was organized for the Joint Chiefs’ on-site investigation, including evaluation of deployment timing, command and control, and communications checks. On the 26th, a rehearsal was conducted with the United Nations Command to secure mobility routes and review the operation environment, and the formal on-site investigation began on the 27th.

On the 28th, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced interim investigation results, stating there is a "very high likelihood" that the explosive device was a North Korean landmine. However, they noted that further investigation is needed to determine whether the landmine was intentionally planted by North Korean troops or if an existing landmine had shifted to the location due to other factors.

The controversy surrounding the incident is also set to continue in the National Assembly on this day. The National Defense Committee of the National Assembly will hold a plenary session to conduct an inquiry into the circumstances of the incident, the military's initial response, and the reasons for the on-site investigation starting six days after the accident.

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