Ruling and Opposition Clash Over Cause of Landmine Explosion at Defense Committee

People Power Party: "Military Agreement Created a Security Gap"
Democratic Party of Korea: "No Action Taken Under Yoon Administration Either"

Ruling and opposition lawmakers continued to clash over the explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), arguing that the September 19 Military Agreement had created a security vacuum. They said the agreement led to the withdrawal of frontline guard posts (GPs) in the two Koreas in a manner that violated the principle of proportionality, leaving South Korea with a security gap in military operations along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) compared with North Korea.

Defense Minister Kang Shincheol replied during a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's National Defense Committee on October 7, "I understand the point you made regarding military matters," adding, "If it had been carried out clearly on the basis of mutual trust, it could have achieved sufficient results, but that was not the case."

Rep. Lim Jong-deuk of the People Power Party pressed Kang over the mine-clearing operation, saying, "We must not muddy the waters," and asking, "Do you believe this is an appropriate and resolute response?"

When Lim criticized the government for omitting the word "provocation" from its announcement, Kang countered, "We did call it a provocation." After Rep. Sung Il-jong of the People Power Party criticized President Lee Jae-myung for describing the DMZ explosion as an "unfortunate accident" at Armed Forces Day celebrations, Kang said, "I believe he said that from the perspective of our fellow service member."

Defense Minister Kang Shincheol answers lawmakers' questions during a parliamentary audit of the Ministry of National Defense by the National Assembly's National Defense Committee at the ministry in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 7th. Photo by National Assembly Photojournalists' Association, Yonhap News.

Ruling party lawmakers defended the government, pointing out that this was the first operation to remove North Korean mines planted south of the MDL and that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration had also taken no significant action in response to North Korea's fortification of its border, which began in April 2024.

When Rep. Chun Jun-ho of the Democratic Party of Korea asked whether the claim that "the government can't even make a peep at North Korea and is sitting on its hands" was true or false, Kang stressed, "That is entirely untrue." In response to Chun's criticism that the Ministry of National Defense had taken no significant action against North Korea's border fortification under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, Kang also appeared to agree, saying, "I don't recall any particular measures being taken."

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