- Key issue of the parliamentary audit? DMZ landmine incident... North Korea bears all responsibility
- Corresponding measures? Will be taken across diverse areas including military and diplomacy
- Criticized as insufficient, but mine clearing should be seen as just the start
- North Korea's claim of a "staged plot" is brazen... yet they are moderating their tone
- Seemingly defensive in light of a potential North Korea-U.S. summit ahead
- Landmines discovered planted last year? UNC was lukewarm at the time
- This time, Armistice violation recognized... Must coordinate with UNC
- Loudspeakers toward North Korea? Ineffective under Yoon... high probability of failure
- Asian Games military service exemption? Must be reduced in phases and abolished
- Special presidential adviser for defense policy? Reflects emphasis on diplomacy and security
- Completing self-reliant national defense through OPCON transfer, AI military systems

■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00 AM)
■ Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2026
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Kim Byung-joo, Democratic Party of Korea Lawmaker

[Kim Tae-hyun] : The parliamentary audit began yesterday (October 6). One of several standing committees expected to be quite heated during this audit is the National Defense Committee. We anticipate quite an intense clash between the ruling and opposition parties over issues such as responsibility for the DMZ landmine explosion and corresponding measures. Joining us is Democratic Party of Korea Lawmaker Kim Byung-joo, who serves as the ruling party's ranking member on the National Assembly's National Defense Committee and was recently appointed as special presidential adviser for defense policy. Hello, Lawmaker Kim.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Hello.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Good to see you after a while.

[Kim Byung-joo] : It has been a while.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Are preparations for the parliamentary audit going well?

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes. We are preparing very thoroughly.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Looking at the issues now, there is the DMZ, the wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer issue, the integration of service academies, and various other matters. From the ruling party's perspective, what do you see as the most important issue among the pending items on the National Defense Committee?

[Kim Byung-joo] : The immediate current issues are, as you know, the DMZ problem and the military service exemption system. In fact, the core matters are future tasks such as the OPCON transfer, the integration of service academies, the selective volunteer military system, and the manned-unmanned teaming combat system for the AI era.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : First, the pending issue is the DMZ landmine explosion. We already announced that North Korea was behind it. So it is correct that North Korea bears all responsibility for this incident, right?

[Kim Byung-joo] : Of course. Our soldiers were severely injured and suffered casualties due to landmines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) by North Korea. Naturally, all responsibility lies with North Korea.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : When the deputy chief of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the results in a very firm tone, what was demanded as corresponding measures from North Korea was an apology and landmine clearance. Some feel regret that this may fall short of an appropriate and corresponding response.

[Kim Byung-joo] : In fact, such necessary measures are carried out across multiple areas. They are taken militarily as well as diplomatically, across diverse fields. Moreover, this time the Joint Chiefs of Staff not only demanded an apology and recurrence prevention measures regarding the damage south of the MDL, but also restored the area. We actually detonated and cleared North Korea's mines planted south of the MDL, restoring it to its original state. I view that as a very bold action. This was originally something strongly demanded by the People Power Party. During the last confirmation hearing for the defense minister nominee, Representative Han Ki-ho shouted, asking what was going to be done about the North Korean mines installed south of the MDL and scolded fiercely that they must be restored to their original state. Given that, detonating and restoring the North Korean mines located just 10 meters very close to the MDL was quite a bold measure.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : But how should I put it, shouldn't there be some regret? North Korea carried out a provocation, and our soldier suffered a severe injury to the point of losing an ankle. Those were mines planted by North Korea, and in fact North Korea should have removed them, but we went in and cleared them ourselves. It seems like North Korea caused the incident and we cleaned up after it. Isn't calling that a firm measure, a corresponding measure, or holding them accountable somewhat insufficient?

[Kim Byung-joo] : It is just the beginning. It should be seen as a start.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : A start?

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes. That is because while we demanded an apology and prevention of recurrence, North Korea does not apologize easily. What kind of behavior have they shown so far? Even during the 2015 wooden-box landmine incident, North Korea claimed it was a staged plot and did not apologize.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Right.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Although they did express regret later on. That is why this time, taking action to restore the site by clearing the mines south of the MDL, along with boldly demanding recurrence prevention, should be seen as just the start. At the same time, I have argued from the beginning that we must carry this out in phases, including diplomatically. Phase one is condemning the act, demanding an apology, and demanding prevention of recurrence. Phase two is putting pressure on North Korea in coordination with the international community, including the United Nations Command (UNC). It means appealing to the international community regarding North Korea's brutality to exert international pressure. Phase three is implementing the necessary measures, and I view this as the start of those necessary measures.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : It is the beginning, not the end.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes. Besides, announcing in advance what we plan to do next would only expose our strategy.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : But North Korea's Vice Department Director Kim Yo-jong stated from the beginning that it was not their responsibility while launching missiles, and yesterday (October 6) they made an announcement along the lines of claiming it was South Korea's staged plot. Furthermore, they even said that if their territory is violated by even 1 millimeter, the border forces of the DPRK will take immediate and strong countermeasures. How do you view this reaction from North Korea?

[Kim Byung-joo] : North Korea's reaction is indeed brazen and absurd. They planted mines south of the MDL and our soldiers were hurt, yet coming out and calling it a staged plot is shameless. In fact, it was also expected; North Korea has always shown such behavior. Nevertheless, I believe North Korea is currently moderating its tone.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Some people make that assessment as well.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes. Usually, in situations like this, North Korea would unleash vitriol and sharply escalate tensions, but here they seem to be taking a defensive posture. Saying they will respond if their territory north of the MDL is violated by even 1 millimeter is defensive. In the past, they were very aggressive and took actual military actions. However, this time, when joint investigations entered that area four times and detonated the mines, North Korea took no particular military action. Looking at that, I think they are probably conscious of a potential North Korea-U.S. summit being pursued by Trump in the future.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : I see.

[Kim Byung-joo] : That is why our government is responding strongly to the landmine issue while managing tensions to prevent escalation, as we must pave the way for peace when a North Korea-U.S. summit takes place down the road. I believe the government is currently approaching this through a two-track strategy, and I see that as desirable.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : So because a North Korea-U.S. summit could happen, North Korea would not want to completely blow up the situation?

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes. Judging by the tone of their messages, and given that North Korea is not broadcasting these messages to its domestic public via Korean Central Television or similar outlets, but only releasing them through external-facing media, we can see that North Korea is indeed moderating its tone.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : But what I am curious about is that our military had been monitoring North Korea's mine-laying operations via satellite and knew about it since September of last year (2025).

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes. In fact, they already knew about it since early 2024. In December 2023, North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un declared the "hostile two states" concept: "We will not pursue unification; we will maintain two separate states." As a result, they moved to turn the MDL in the DMZ into a national border. They began that border-fortification work in the spring of 2024. In some areas, they built barrier walls; in others, they installed barbed wire; and in some places, they laid mines. That was during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. Frankly, when they first acted out of line, we should have reprimanded them immediately, but back then it ended with just warning shots. It was merely perfunctory—firing warning shots only if they crossed southward.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Right.

[Kim Byung-joo] : If a proper response had been taken back then, it might not have led to such an unfortunate incident. Looking back now, where was the Yoon Suk Yeol administration's focus? Their minds were elsewhere. Because they were harboring intentions to stage the December 3 insurrection, rather than focusing on the border, they were trying to create conditions for emergency martial law by sending drones to Pyongyang in North Korea to escalate things further, which left them indifferent to the fortification of the border. Therefore, though late, I believe that even now we must resolutely carry out the necessary measures regarding these matters.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Lawmaker Kim, setting aside the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, when the landmine planting was discovered via satellite in September of last year (2025), that was during the early days of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Wouldn't it have been better even then to take stronger measures against North Korea—stronger than the warning shots fired under the Yoon administration—or to clear out all the mines just like this time?

[Kim Byung-joo] : At that time, diplomatic measures were taken first. That is because the responsibility for managing and overseeing the DMZ lies with the UNC. Since this was an issue the UNC needed to address, we made requests to the UNC. We pointed out circumstances where North Korea was planting some mines south of the MDL, which is a violation of the Armistice Agreement and a provocation, and demanded that the UNC mediate and strongly pressure North Korea. But the UNC was actually very lukewarm. I believe the UNC also bears responsibility. They responded that this was not an offensive military weapon but a defensive system, so it did not constitute an Armistice violation.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : The UNC did at that time.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes. That is why I found it very baffling. The UNC always acts neutrally, but why were they being so passive? So we repeatedly requested that an investigation be conducted there. This is because the UNC must verify anything south of the MDL. For that reason, we repeatedly asked them to investigate, but the UNC hesitated several times after attempting to enter because it was too dangerous. That is why, this time as well, when they agreed to enter for an investigation, this accident occurred while our troops were clearing a path for them. Therefore, the UNC must also learn a lesson from this incident. This time, the UNC clearly confirmed that mines had been planted south of the MDL and officially defined it as a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement. If so, the UNC must also keep pace with our military to take corresponding actions. The UNC is, after all, led by the United States. So I believe South Korea and the U.S. must coordinate together.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Lawmaker Kim, fundamentally, all these landmines started because of the border fortification work, right?

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : According to a media report yesterday (October 6), residents in our border areas are losing sleep at night due to the explosion noises generated by North Korea's border fortification work. Fundamentally, is there a countermeasure against North Korea's border fortification work?

[Kim Byung-joo] : That is why, as I mentioned earlier, multiple measures must be pursued together regarding this issue. Not just military actions, but diplomatic and economic measures must all be taken in combination. Our government is currently contemplating necessary actions across diverse options.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Right.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Furthermore, the reports that border residents cannot sleep at night are not because we detonated mines on our side of the MDL, but because the People Power Party is recklessly arguing that we should turn on loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North as in the past. In 2015, when the wooden-box landmine incident occurred, turning on the loudspeakers was effective. Back then, North Korea was vulnerable to psychological warfare. However, in 2024, under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, when the September 19 Comprehensive Military Agreement was suspended and loudspeakers toward the North were activated, North Korea was prepared. They equipped their guard posts with broadcast systems to block out our broadcasts and instead turned on loudspeakers toward the South, blasting loud noise, ghostly sounds, and the like, causing immense suffering to residents of Yeonpyeong Island and other border areas. That is why heads of local governments in border areas issued a statement the day before yesterday (October 5) saying loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North must not be resumed, fearing a repeat of that situation. Thus, the People Power Party is still trapped in the past. Even Sun Tzu's Art of War says that repeating a method used in a past victory carries a high probability of failure. That method has already proven ineffective, yet they are insisting on past approaches again.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes. Another issue in this parliamentary audit, as you mentioned earlier, is military service exemptions for the Asian Games, on which the ruling and opposition parties seem to agree for the first time in a while. They agree that improvements are needed. There is talk of abolition, talk of downsizing, and the Ministry of National Defense seems to take the stance that moving toward abolition in the long run is right. Lawmaker Kim, what do you think? Do you have an alternative?

[Kim Byung-joo] : In fact, I have advocated this from early on as well. I believe we should set a target year and phase it down step by step.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Abolishing it immediately tomorrow would be somewhat impractical.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Exactly. Doing away with any system right tomorrow creates many problems. Setting a target year and phasing it down step by step is the reasonable approach.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Right.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Why should it be abolished? This system was first introduced in 1973, 53 years ago. Its goal was to enhance national prestige. At that time, winning gold medals at the Asian Games or Olympic Games significantly enhanced national prestige. But now, we have already joined the ranks of advanced nations, and our young people are enhancing national prestige across all fields, raising fairness issues. Furthermore, back in 1973, military manpower resources were surplus—about 60% went into active service, and the rest had leeway. Now, due to the demographic cliff, military manpower resources are declining. Therefore, such military service privilege systems should no longer be expanded, and a bipartisan consensus was already reached during the 21st National Assembly that they should be downsized or abolished. Nevertheless, because there were strong demands from the sports, arts, and even industrial sectors, the government could not properly address it, but I believe it must definitely be dealt with this time.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. You were recently appointed as special presidential adviser for defense policy. When past administrations appointed presidential special advisers, I recall they often had advisers for political affairs, economy, and diplomacy, but as far as I recall, previous administrations rarely appointed a special adviser for defense policy. At this timing, the president appointing Lawmaker Kim Byung-joo—a former four-star general who served as deputy commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command—as special presidential adviser for defense policy seems to carry profound intent. What might that be?

[Kim Byung-joo] : Past administrations also had them under the title of special adviser for security.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Security.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Or special adviser for foreign affairs and security. This time, you can view it as Special Adviser Song Young-gil handling diplomacy and me handling security. Currently, there are many external variables and numerous defense and security issues that need resolving. In defense specifically, there are many defense reform tasks—not only the integration of service academies and the OPCON transfer, but also becoming one of the world's top four defense export powers.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Defense industry as well.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Yes. That is why the scope is extremely broad. Giving this special adviser role is intended to deliver the public's voices unfiltered to the president, and to lend strength to these defense reform tasks at the level of both the National Assembly and the Democratic Party. I think it reflects the president's determination to place great emphasis on foreign policy and security moving forward.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Lawmaker Kim, does calling it a special adviser for defense policy rather than a security adviser reflect the president's intention to redesign and change South Korea's defense policy, such as the OPCON transfer?

[Kim Byung-joo] : That is correct. We need to complete the self-reliant defense pursued by the Lee Jae-myung administration. Self-reliant defense encompasses the OPCON transfer task, the integration of service academies to prepare for future warfare, and a major systemic overhaul to equip all weapon systems with AI and enable AI-based decision-making in line with the era of AI transformation. The Lee Jae-myung administration intends to push this forward with momentum. But the power of the executive branch alone is insufficient. That is why the special adviser system was established to move forward alongside the National Assembly and listen to the people's voices, which I understand reflects the president's strong will.

[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. Lawmaker Kim, we will conclude here today. We have been speaking with Democratic Party of Korea Lawmaker Kim Byung-joo, the ruling party's ranking member on the National Defense Committee and special presidential adviser for defense policy. Thank you.

[Kim Byung-joo] : Thank you.

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