Rival parties clashed over the investigation method for a mine explosion incident in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The Democratic Party of Korea plans to verify the circumstances of the incident by visiting the site, while the People Power Party insists on holding a full committee meeting to question the government and military on the matter.
According to reports from the National Assembly on the 26th, Kim Byeong-joo, the Democratic Party's representative on the National Defense Committee, held a press conference and stated, "The defense committee members have decided to visit the site on Monday to conduct an inspection." He added, "The People Power Party has repeatedly demanded a full committee meeting for questioning but has rejected the site visit."
Kim emphasized, "If they claim to seek the truth while avoiding the site where the truth exists, it is no different from confessing that what they want is not the truth but a stage for political strife." He urged members of the People Power Party to join the site visit, stating, "We will thoroughly verify everything from the joint site investigation to the results of the National Forensic Service starting with Monday's visit."
In contrast, members of the People Power Party's National Defense Committee countered Kim's call for a site inspection, arguing, "Do not evade parliamentary verification by prioritizing a site visit that cannot be conducted."
Im Jong-deuk, the opposition's representative on the National Defense Committee, criticized during a press conference, "If you are so concerned about the safety of soldiers, why do politicians want to visit the unit that needs to stabilize after the incident, adding another burden?"
Im stated, "Members of the National Assembly cannot enter the site just because they visit the unit," and suggested that if a site visit is truly necessary, it could be conducted after the unit has regained some stability during the National Assembly's audit process.
He further remarked, "In this situation, the government and ruling party, which bear the responsibility for national affairs, are even opposing the convening of a full committee meeting," and firmly told the Democratic Party, "Do not put on a show."
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon revealed that he was denied access to the United Nations Command's request for site entry, body cam footage, and interviews with the injured at the 25th Division.
Han held a press conference in front of the Ministry of National Defense, stating, "On the 22nd, the UN Command's Military Armistice Commission visited the 25th Division to request materials but was refused." He claimed, "The UN Command has insisted on a swift site investigation, including requests for site entry, but the South Korean military opposed it, and it will proceed after the Chuseok holiday."
On the 21st, an explosion, presumed to be from a mine, occurred in the DMZ along the western front in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, injuring three soldiers during a search operation to support a UN site investigation. The cause of the incident, the type of explosive, and the party responsible for laying the mines have yet to be confirmed.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.