"Appeasing Kim Jong Un" vs. "Dangerous to Jump to Conclusions on North Korea"

[Anchor]

The People Power Party went on the offensive, claiming that the government deliberately delayed the investigation to cater to North Korea's feelings and calling it an "act of aiding the enemy." The Democratic Party hit back, dismissing it as mere conspiracy theories and agitation, and arguing that it should not be rashly concluded as an act by North Korea.

Reporter Park Jae-yeon reports.

[Reporter]

The People Power Party defined a landmine explosion that occurred in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the western front on September 21 as North Korea's doing, taking issue with the government's handling of the situation.

PPP Leader Jang Dong-hyeok and Song Seok-jun, chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, held consecutive press conferences to criticize that the on-site investigation was delayed.

[Song Seok-jun / People Power Party Lawmaker (Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee) : "As time passes and rain falls, the scene is compromised, making it difficult to determine the exact cause. Our soldier lost an ankle during an operation, and are they saying they won't investigate immediately?"]

They also argued whether this constitutes a "deliberate delay" to cover up North Korea's involvement, "grounds for impeachment," and an "act of treason."

[Jang Dong-hyeok / Leader of the People Power Party : "If the on-site investigation was deliberately delayed, this is clearly an act of aiding the enemy. Anyone who clings to appeasing North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's feelings is a murderer and a traitor."]

The Democratic Party dismissed the claims as merely conspiracy theories, countering that "determining the facts comes first."

[Kwon Chil-seung / Chief Policymaker of the Democratic Party : "Above all, determining the exact cause comes first. We must objectively investigate the origin of the explosive and the circumstances of the accident..."]

They also launched a counterattack, stating that any cover-up is impossible given that the United Nations Command is accompanying the investigation, and saying, "The People Power Party is using the blood of soldiers as material for political agitation."

The Democratic Party maintains that North Korea cannot be blamed until accurate investigation results are released, warning against premature conclusions.

[Cho Gye-won / Democratic Party Spokesperson : "Does it make sense to say that landmines from decades ago were newly laid now to disrupt operations? I believe making rash conclusions is an extremely dangerous political statement."]

While the National Assembly Defense Committee conducts an on-site inspection today (September 28) by visiting the Army's 25th Infantry Division where the accident occurred, the People Power Party separately plans to push for a questioning session on current issues at the National Assembly.

(Video by Oh Young-chun | Video Editing by Wi Won-yang)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.