Veterans Minister Calls DMZ Mine Blast 'North Korean Provocation,' Vows Active Review for Injured Troops

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

Minister Kwon made the remark on Tuesday (October 6) while attending a parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs by the National Assembly's National Policy Committee, in response to a query from Representative Shin Dong-uk of the People Power Party regarding how he views the nature of the incident.

Regarding the soldiers who were seriously injured in the North Korean landmine blast, Minister Kwon said, "They were victimized by North Korea's provocation," and added that the ministry would actively review their eligibility for veterans benefits.

When asked whether he considered it appropriate for President Lee Jae-myung to refer to the landmine explosion as an "unforeseen accident" during an Armed Forces Day ceremony, Kwon chose his words carefully, saying, "It is not appropriate for a minister to comment on the President's remarks."

Addressing criticism that 261 out of 1,215 service members recognized by the military as having died in the line of duty over the past five years were rejected in veterans benefit reviews, Minister Kwon stated, "We will improve the review criteria and conduct reviews proactively," adding, "We will respect the Ministry of National Defense's views as much as possible and make efforts to produce the same outcome at the veterans ministry."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.