[Anchor]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff underwent a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that it determined the landmine explosion incident was "a provocation by North Korea from start to finish."

Reporter Choi Jae-yeong reports.

[Reporter]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff reaffirmed that the landmine explosion was a "clear provocation" by North Korea.

[Kwon Dae-won / Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (yesterday): We judged it to be a provocation from start to finish, and no one at the Joint Chiefs of Staff judged that it was not a provocation.]

Officials also made it clear that the term "provocation" can encompass "deliberateness" and "intentionality."

[Cheon Ha-ram / Reform Party lawmaker (yesterday): Doesn't the expression 'provocation' inherently imply a certain level of deliberateness or intentionality?]

[Jin Young-seung / Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (yesterday): It can be viewed that way.]

However, the military expressed skepticism regarding the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea, which conservative opposition parties have raised as one of the countermeasures.

[Kim Seong-hoe / Democratic Party lawmaker (yesterday): When loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea were conducted, did North Korea stop its so-called efforts to neutralize the Military Demarcation Line?]

[Jin Young-seung / Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (yesterday): Looking at past cases, the effect is judged to be limited.]

During the audit, Han Ki-sung, former commander of the Army's 1st Corps who issued the order for the so-called "unloaded rifle guard duty," appeared as a witness to offer his explanation in person for the first time.

He stated that the phrase "unloaded rifle guard duty" itself was inappropriate, explaining that troops were not without ammunition.

[Han Ki-sung / Former Commander of Army 1st Corps (yesterday): There were rounds in the ammunition can attached to the firearm, and it was an issue regarding the position of the first round. I considered attaching an ammunition can containing rounds to the weapon to be equivalent to loading, and....]

He added, "I judged that there was no issue with readiness," but opposition lawmakers strongly reprimanded him, saying the measure could have put the lives of service members in danger.

[Lim Jong-deuk / People Power Party lawmaker (yesterday): I served in the military longer than you did. Isn't being immediately prepared so that my subordinates do not fall victim the very basic duty of the military?]

[Sung Il-jong / People Power Party lawmaker (yesterday): I also served as a guard post commander. In a situation where no one knows how the enemy might approach at night, leaving weapons unloaded and now making the excuse that General Han is offering is unacceptable to the public.]

Chairman Jin Young-seung also stated, "Because there was an issue, guidelines were revised, and currently all frontline units maintain loaded weapons."

(Video by Kim Hyun-sang | Video editing by Kim Jin-won)