Verbal Clash at UN Over Landmine Explosion... 'Take Responsible Action'

[Anchor]

South Korea and North Korea engaged in a verbal clash at the United Nations over a landmine explosion incident. Ambassador to the UN Cha Ji-hoon demanded a public apology and responsible measures from North Korea.

Reporting from New York, this is Correspondent Kim Hyunwoo.

[Reporter]

During his speech at the UN General Assembly plenary debate, Ambassador to the UN Cha Ji-hoon stated that three soldiers were recently injured in a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone, and that a joint investigation confirmed the landmines were intentionally planted by the North Korean military.

Ambassador Cha called the incident a violation of the armistice agreement and urged the North Korean side to apologize.

[Cha Ji-hoon / Ambassador to the UN: This is a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement. We urge North Korea to halt acts that escalate tension and to take responsible action, including a public apology.]

Following Ambassador Cha's remarks, the North Korean representative took the floor to refute the claims.

The representative accused South Korea's assertions of being a clumsy ploy to shift the blame for the landmine explosion onto the North.

[North Korean Representative to the UN: We cannot help but state that this is an impure obstructionist maneuver aimed at branding our fortification of the southern border, which is a legitimate exercise of sovereignty, as a military aggression.]

The North Korean side mentioned Unification Minister Chung Dong-young by name, claiming that a South Korean official had also suggested it was difficult to conclude the landmine explosion was an intentional attack by North Korea.

This was interpreted as an allusion to Minister Chung's remarks during a parliamentary audit, where he stated that the North Korean landmine explosion could not yet be specifically classified as an attack.

The South Korean mission also took the floor for a rebuttal.

Ahn Ji-in, Counselor at the South Korean Permanent Mission to the UN, cited the forensic analysis results from the South Korean military and the United Nations Command, emphasizing that it has been clearly proven that a landmine intentionally planted by North Korea was the cause of the explosion.

Shortly before the meeting ended, the North Korean representative requested the floor once again, designating South Korea as a hostile state and stating that North Korea would defend its territorial sovereignty not through negotiations, but through the thorough exercise of force.

(Camera: Lee Hee-hoon | Video by SEUNGHEE)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.