The military faced continued questioning during the National Assembly's Defense Committee audit regarding the circumstances surrounding the discovery of a woman in her 30s north of the demilitarized zone on October 24, without securing her custody.
During the audit on October 26, National Assembly member Seong Il-jong of the People Power Party questioned Defense Minister Kang Shin-cheol and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung about the military's initial response and the basis for declaring no security concerns. Chairman Jin explained that the personnel on site lost sight of the woman while trying to identify her from a distance, acknowledging that the inability to secure her was a problem that would be addressed.
The woman was discovered in an area north of the demilitarized zone controlled by the 3rd Infantry Division. When Seong asked if the military failed to intercept her at the demilitarized zone, Minister Kang confirmed, "Yes." In response to Seong's assertion that they must have let her slip away after spotting her, Kang clarified that it was not a matter of losing her but rather a "disruption in contact." Seong pointed out that if they had identified a suspicious person within the demilitarized zone, they should have verified how she entered, to which Kang replied that an investigation is ongoing.
Regarding the military personnel who had contact with the woman, Chairman Jin stated, "We confirmed via CCTV that two personnel were dispatched to the scene, but they did not make close contact; the woman left during the identification process from a distance." When Seong inquired if the barbed wire had been cut, the Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that it had been cut in several places. Seong alleged that the woman had brought tools such as scissors and moved between the boundaries of the 3rd and 6th Infantry Divisions.
Chairman Jin agreed with Seong's concerns, stating, "We made efforts to secure her initially, but the limitations in securing her are a problem we are reviewing and will definitely address." He explained that after the barbed wire was damaged, they responded immediately to secure her and handed her over to the police.
Seong also questioned the investigation results regarding the woman, asking how the public could accept that someone who approached the front-line barbed wire was found to have no security concerns within a day. Minister Kang responded that the military did not conduct the investigation alone and that it was a joint investigation with the police. Seong emphasized that a more thorough investigation should have been conducted before making a judgment.
At the end of the questioning, Chairman Jin Seong-jun asked Minister Kang if the results would be reported to the public once the investigation was complete. Kang noted the woman's civilian status and said he would check whether the military could make a statement. Jin requested that since this is not unrelated to military matters and involves military readiness, they should actively discuss how to announce the results in coordination with the investigative authorities.
Earlier, Aju Economy reported on October 25 that a civilian woman breached the demilitarized zone and damaged the barbed wire.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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