People Power Party: "A ‘Paralyzed Military’ Despite North Korean Mine Provocation... Strong Reciprocal Action Needed"

"Is Mine Removal the Only Response When Soldiers Are Injured?"
Han: "Government Delayed Announcement... Time for Strong Action"

On October 5, the People Power Party strongly urged the government to take robust countermeasures, criticizing what they deemed an inadequate response after military authorities officially concluded that the landmine explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was caused by a landmine planted by North Korea.

Yang Jin-hyuk, Chief of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is explaining the final investigation results of the joint onsite investigation task force related to the landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Park Sunghoon, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, stated in a commentary that, "Even after the perpetrator of a grave military provocation that injured three of our military personnel was identified, the response presented by the military authorities falls below disappointment, to the point of effectively declaring an abandonment of our national security sovereignty."

The party also raised issues with the military's responses, which included demanding that North Korea remove the landmines laid south of the MDL and stating that if North Korea does not comply, South Korean forces would proceed to remove them directly. Chief spokesperson Park criticized, "The military has become an incompetent 'vegetative army' unable to take any real military counteraction, even when our servicemen bleed,” and called for "immediate and strong substantive countermeasures."

Spokesperson Ham Inkyoung also argued, "Such a response to a blatant military provocation and a violation of the armistice agreement only sends North Korea the wrong message, that they can provoke without facing any consequences."

Kwon Youngse, a member of the People Power Party, referred to President Lee Jaemyung's congratulatory address on the anniversary of the October 4 Declaration the previous day and said, "Letting go of reciprocity with a counterpart that does not even honor the armistice agreement is not reconciliation or submission, but certainly not peace either."

Independent lawmaker Han Donghoon also criticized the government for taking time to officially announce North Korea’s responsibility for laying the landmines after the incident occurred. Assemblyman Han stated, "It weighs heavily on my mind to think that the Lee Jaemyung administration might have tried to cover this up without even making this minimal acknowledgment," adding, "Now it is time to take strong and appropriate countermeasures."

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