Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Wishes Recovery for Injured DMZ Soldiers, Calls for Thorough Investigation

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has wished for the speedy recovery of soldiers injured in a suspected landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and called for a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident.

In a post on his social media account, Mayor Oh wrote, "My heart is heavy with the news that military service members have been injured in an explosion in the DMZ. I wish the injured a speedy recovery and send my deepest condolences to their families."

He added, "At this very moment, many young people are dedicating their youth to defending the country. I am always grateful for the dedication of our soldiers."

Mayor Oh continued, "I urge military authorities to thoroughly investigate the cause of the accident and clearly explain the confirmed facts to the public. There must be no negligence whatsoever regarding the safety, medical treatment, and veterans' benefits of our soldiers."

He also stated, "Through the Seoul Metropolitan Government's counseling center for wounded and discharged service members, we will help them gain recognition as national merit recipients and return to society. We will stand by them until the end to ensure that heroes who were injured while dedicating themselves to the country are not left alone on their path to recovery."

On the 21st, an explosion, presumed to be from a landmine, occurred in an area 50 to 100 meters south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, under the jurisdiction of the Army's 25th Infantry Division. A South Korean search battalion commander (lieutenant colonel) suffered injuries including a severed ankle, while a non-commissioned officer who was with him sustained fractures.

It was reported that at the time, they were carrying out a DMZ search route clearance operation to reach the area ahead of an on-site investigation by the United Nations Command into suspected landmine burials by North Korea south of the MDL.

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