"North Korea Flustered by Our Response"… "Is Landmine Removal a Resolute Action?"

[Anchor]

During the parliamentary audit of the Ministry of National Defense, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul assessed that North Korea issuing a Foreign Ministry statement only a day after our military announced its final findings on a landmine explosion incident indicates that Pyongyang was flustered. The People Power Party criticized the military, questioning whether removing mines is truly a resolute response when it has been confirmed that hundreds of North Korean landmines are buried south of the Military Demarcation Line.

This is Kim Tae-hoon, defense correspondent.

[Reporter]

Two weeks after the landmine explosion incident on the western front occurred, our military announced the final investigation result that they were "mines laid by the North Korean military," and a day later, the day before yesterday (October 6), North Korea's Foreign Ministry announced its stance pledging a "strong response."

At the parliamentary audit yesterday, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul assessed the situation as follows:

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

About a year ago, on September 23 of last year, our military estimated the locations where this incident occurred to be "areas where North Korean troops planted landmines" using satellites and other assets, and Minister Kang stated that hundreds of North Korean landmines are believed to be buried across the entire area south of the Military Demarcation Line.

Lawmakers from the Democratic Party sharpened their 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.

People Power Party lawmakers countered that North Korean troops did not cross south of the Military Demarcation Line in 2024, and challenged our military's "mine clearance operation," asking, "Is this truly a resolute measure?"

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

[Kang Shin-chul / Minister of National Defense: Yes, I do.]

The government's response was also brought under scrutiny during 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 problem 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 think it was an idiotic response, but rather that we did what needed to be done.]

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stated that while it is true there is a difference of opinion with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over whether to implement unilateral 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.