"North Korea Flustered by Our Response" vs. "Is Mine Clearance a Resolute Response?"

[Anchor]

Regarding the landmine explosion incident, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement only late yesterday afternoon (October 6), a day after our military announced its final investigation findings. In response, Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul assessed that "North Korea was flustered by our response." However, the opposition criticized, asking, "With hundreds of North Korean mines buried south of the Military Demarcation Line, is mine clearance really a resolute response?"

Defense reporter Kim Tae-hoon reports.

[Reporter]

Two days ago, two weeks after the landmine explosion occurred on the western front, our military announced the final results of its investigation concluding that the explosives were "mines laid by North Korean troops." A day later, yesterday, North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement threatening "strong countermeasures."

At today's parliamentary audit, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul assessed the situation as follows.

[Kang Shin-chul / Minister of National Defense: Regarding the fact that they issued a statement about a day later, I assess that they were likely quite flustered by our response....]

About a year ago, on September 23 of last year, our military estimated through satellite imagery and other means that the sites where the incident occurred were "areas where North Korean troops laid landmines." Minister Kang stated that hundreds of North Korean mines are believed to be buried across the entire area south of the Military Demarcation Line.

Lawmakers from the Democratic Party leveled sharp criticism, pointing out that North Korea's "border fortification work" began back in 2024, yet the Yoon Suk Yeol administration at the time took no action.

Lawmakers from the People Power Party countered that North Korean troops did not cross south of the Military Demarcation Line in 2024, and questioned the military's "mine clearance operation," asking whether it was truly a "resolute measure."

[Lim Jong-deuk / People Power Party Lawmaker: Responded resolutely? Is this a resolute response? Is that what you think, Minister?]

[Kang Shin-chul / Minister of National Defense: Yes, that is correct.]

The government's response also came under scrutiny at the parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Unification.

[Han Dong-hoon / Independent Lawmaker: What is the reason you cannot describe that as an attack?]

[Chung Dong-young / Minister of Unification: My position is that the root cause must be eliminated.]

[Park Choong-kwon / People Power Party Lawmaker: Do you consider such an idiotic response to be an appropriate response?]

[Chung Dong-young / Minister of Unification: I do not believe it was an idiotic response; rather, I believe we did what had to be done.]

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that while it is true that his ministry holds differing opinions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on whether to implement cyber sanctions against North Korea, it does not amount to a clash or friction.

Video by Kim Hyun-sang | Video Editing by Lee Seung-hee
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.