[Anchor]

While North Korea has yet to respond to our proposal for military talks, Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul stated at yesterday's (October 26) parliamentary audit that the dialogue was proposed in anticipation of Chairman Kim Jong-un's visit to China. Meanwhile, lawmakers sharply criticized the military over an incident in which a woman in her 30s crossed the Civilian Control Line and damaged a front-line barbed-wire fence.

Reporter Noh Dong-gyu reports.

[Reporter]

At the parliamentary audit of the Ministry of National Defense.

In response to a ruling party lawmaker's question regarding the reason for proposing inter-Korean military talks on October 23, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul answered to the effect that it was because he anticipated North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un's visit to China the following day, October 24.

[Kim Byung-joo / Democratic Party Lawmaker: Why did you propose military talks?]

[Kang Shin-chul / Minister of National Defense: We anticipated such timing for (Kim Jong-un's) visit to China, and under various strategic considerations that we should make a proposal at such a time, we made the offer.]

Regarding Kim Jong-un's visit to China, Minister Kang explained that he viewed it as aimed at "North Korea-Russia and North Korea-China relations," as well as having "various intentions regarding North Korea-U.S. dialogue and the management of the Korean Peninsula."

To an opposition lawmaker's criticism that response measures following a landmine explosion incident were inadequate, Kang explained that the North Korean military leadership's urgent inspection of the Military Demarcation Line on October 21 was also prompted by our military's response. However, regarding the specifics of the follow-up measures, he did not elaborate, noting only that they included non-physical as well as physical actions.

[Han Ki-ho / People Power Party Lawmaker: Detonating the remaining landmines was all that was done. What are you going to do now?]

[Kang Shin-chul / Minister of National Defense: Why else would Kim Yo-jong and Pak Jong-chon have rushed to the front line all of a sudden?]

The military's vigilance and defense posture also came under fire.

It was confirmed that in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, a woman in her 30s crossed the Civilian Control Line without authorization and damaged surveillance sensors installed on the front-line GOP (general outpost) barbed-wire fence.

[Seong Il-jong / People Power Party Lawmaker: Then what was the military doing for 20 hours? She entered near the Civilian Control Line, and 20 hours later, the optical network (wire fence detection sensor) was severed. This is an extremely critical issue.]

The woman entered the Civilian Control Zone without permission on October 24 and was apprehended the following day while cutting several sections of the fence sensors with scissors and other tools, drawing continuing criticism that vulnerabilities in the military's defense posture have been exposed.

(Video by Wi Won-yang)