[2026 Parliamentary Audit] Jin Youngseung: "North Korea's Mine-Laying Is a Clear Provocation; We Strongly Condemn It... Will Respond Firmly Through ROK-U.S. Coordination"

"A Clear Violation of the Armistice Agreement and a Provocation... Close Cooperation with the United Nations Command"
Ruling and Opposition Parties Spar Over Closed-Door Briefing

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Jin Youngseung on October 8 described the incident in which South Korean service members were injured by mines laid by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) as “a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and a provocation.” He added, “Based on the firm coordination between South Korea and the United States, we will closely track and monitor related developments and respond resolutely to any provocation by the enemy in accordance with our principles and standards.”

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman nominee Jin Youngseung answers lawmakers' questions during a confirmation hearing at a full meeting of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee on Sept. 24, 2025. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

At a parliamentary audit held at the Ministry of National Defense on October 8, Jin said, “We strongly condemn the North Korean regime’s illegal and reckless actions,” adding, “On October 6, we conducted an operation to clear a North Korean minefield.” He continued, “We will work closely with the United Nations Command and continue to take appropriate and effective measures in line with the situation.”

At the parliamentary audit the previous day, Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol was asked whether there were any suspected areas south of the MDL where North Korea had laid mines besides the area near the Army’s 25th Division. He replied, “There are several locations,” adding, “We will conduct a joint investigation with the United Nations Command, establish the facts, and then continue taking the necessary measures.” He also said that DMZ operations were continuing “without any scaling back or anything of the sort, even after the explosion.”

Regarding North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, Jin said, “We are evolving and advancing the South Korea’s three-axis system, while strengthening the joint extended deterrence and response capabilities of South Korea and the United States across all domains, including space, cyber and electromagnetic capabilities.”

On the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON), he said that South Korea was “pursuing the transfer of OPCON while continuing to build the key military capabilities needed to establish a combined defense system led by our military.”

In its subsequent work report, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said it would monitor North Korean activities near the MDL, prevent accidental clashes and continue efforts to secure operational initiative in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). As follow-up measures to the mine incident, it plans to pursue both physical and non-physical responses and reorganize its system for conducting operations in the DMZ.

The JCS also plans to establish a dedicated electromagnetic warfare unit next year and redefine concepts for current and future operations to improve its capability to conduct electromagnetic spectrum operations. To prepare for North Korean radio jamming, it will also work to make joint government-military response drills routine and link detection systems.

At this year’s Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) between South Korea and the United States, the two sides will discuss plans to verify the Full Operational Capability (FOC) of the future Combined Forces Command and the timing of the OPCON transfer. The JCS also said it would pursue the establishment of a standing Combined Special Operations Command by the end of this year.

Before the work report, the ruling and opposition parties sparred over a closed-door briefing on the mine incident and a visit to the accident site. Kim Byung-joo, a secretary of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the People Power Party’s opposition, saying, “The JCS said that if the briefing were held behind closed doors, it would provide detailed access even to classified video footage.” Lim Jong-deuk, a secretary of the People Power Party, countered that the site visit was “just going there to put on a show.” Regarding the closed-door briefing, he said he opposed a confidential meeting “during the time allocated for the parliamentary audit to proceed as scheduled,” but supported holding the briefing during the lunch break. In response, National Defense Committee Chair Jin Seong-jun said, “Please refrain from disparaging and dismissing it as a political show.” Opposition lawmakers also protested during the exchange.

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