Veterans Minister Vows Proactive Review for Soldiers Wounded in "DMZ Landmine Explosion"

Transferred to Hospital After Morning Parliamentary Audit Due to Health Concerns

Veterans Ministry: "Unlikely to Attend Afternoon Audit Session"

Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oh-eul characterized the recent incident in which three South Korean soldiers were seriously injured due to a North Korean landmine explosion in the western front Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a "North Korean provocation."

On October 6, during a State Affairs Committee audit session in the National Assembly on the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Minister Kwon gave this response to a question from Shin Dongwook of the People Power Party about how he viewed the nature of the incident. Minister Kwon stated that the soldiers severely injured by the North Korean landmine explosion were "sacrificed by the North's provocation" and added that the ministry would actively review the recognition of those wounded soldiers for appropriate veterans benefits going forward.

Yonhap News

When asked whether he considered it appropriate that President Lee Jaemyung referred to the landmine explosion as an "unfortunate accident" at the Armed Forces Day ceremony, Minister Kwon refrained from comment, saying, "It is not appropriate for a minister to remark on the President's words." Regarding the fact that 261 out of 1,215 service members (21.5%) who were recognized as having died in the line of duty by the military over the past five years failed the veterans review, Minister Kwon said, "We will improve our review standards and take a more forward-looking approach," adding, "We will do our best to respect the Ministry of National Defense’s position so that the results are consistent between the two ministries."

Meanwhile, in response to criticism by Park Juntae of the People Power Party for referring to North Korea as the 'People's Republic' during a press conference last May, Minister Kwon countered, "Since the Roh Tae Woo administration, all governments have used the official names of both Koreas in official documents between the two sides."

Minister Kwon added, "During the process of searching for the remains of patriot Ahn Jung-geun, China is demanding North Korea's consent, and in order to obtain that consent, it is appropriate to use their official state name. In everyday conversation, we refer to it as North Korea, but in formal settings, I believe the use of the official state name is correct."

On the morning of October 6, after attending the parliamentary audit session for the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Minister Kwon complained of abnormal health symptoms and was transferred to a hospital. Minister Kwon was taken to the Central Veterans Hospital in Gangdong-gu, Seoul.

An official from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs stated, "As of now, it is difficult for the minister to attend the afternoon session of the parliamentary audit," and added, "It is not a case of symptoms such as a stroke." Minister Kwon previously disclosed that he had battled cancer. During his confirmation hearing as a candidate for Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs in July last year, he also explained the circumstances behind the non-refund of campaign expenses, mentioning that it was during a period when he was fighting cancer.

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