"Was Delayed Investigation Covered Up?" vs. "Security Agitation, Political Offensive"

[Anchor]

The National Assembly's National Defense Committee is currently holding an urgent questioning session regarding the landmine explosion. Let's go to the National Assembly.

Reporter Son Hyeong-an, the ruling and opposition parties first clashed over the military's delayed on-site investigation, didn't they?

[Reporter]

First, during the urgent questioning session of the National Assembly Defense Committee, the meeting was reportedly turned into a closed-door session this evening (September 29) to review the military's security footage related to this landmine explosion.

Prior to this, the ruling and opposition parties clashed over the on-site investigation that began on September 27, with the opposition raising allegations of a cover-up due to a delayed investigation, and the ruling party countering that it is a conspiracy theory and a political offensive.

[Cheon Ha-ram / Reform Party Lawmaker: "Only now, after the UN General Assembly is all over, did they come out and say that it is presumed to be a North Korean military landmine..."]

[Park Sun-won / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "If they had taken the (UN) speech into account, there would be no reason to postpone (clearing the search route) from June, as originally planned, to September."]

The landmine explosion occurred on September 21, but the on-site investigation was conducted for the first time on September 27, six days later.

The opposition questioned whether the military had deliberately delayed the investigation mindful of President Lee Jae-myung's address to the UN General Assembly in the early morning of September 23, but the ruling party emphasized that it was a standard procedure considering safety since it was a hazardous area, and Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul also responded that there was no cover-up.

[Anchor]

Even though this is an issue related to our national security, the questioning from ruling and opposition lawmakers pointed in different directions?

[Reporter]

From the People Power Party came criticism that the military was making excuses instead of first apologizing for the soldiers' injuries, while the Democratic Party criticized independent Lawmaker Han Dong-hoon for disparaging the military in connection with this incident and disclosing the date one day before the on-site investigation.

[Yoo Young-ha / People Power Party Lawmaker: "Aren't the people injured right now the subordinates of the (JCS) Chairman? It's not about the medals hanging profusely on their own chests."]

[Kim Byung-joo / Democratic Party Lawmaker: "He demeaned them as 'worthless brass' on the grounds that they delayed handling this incident and failed to do it properly."]

However, within the ruling party, some suggested adopting a resolution condemning North Korea at the Defense Committee level, stating that a resolute response is necessary if it is finally confirmed as a North Korean provocation.

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung and Cheong Wa Dae have also stated their positions.

[Reporter]

At today's Cabinet meeting, President Lee Jae-myung mentioned a thorough investigation and necessary measures according to the truth.

[President Lee Jae-myung: "We must transparently reveal the truth of the incident through a thorough investigation."]

President Lee also emphasized, "There must not be any inciting of unfounded conspiracy theories that jeopardizes national security," seemingly targeting the opposition's cover-up allegations.

Cheong Wa Dae also stated that the military's on-site investigation had nothing to do with the UN speech.

Video by Lee Seung-hwan and Shin Dong-hwan | Video Editing by Park Seon-soo | Field Production by Pyeon Chan-hyeong
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.