JCS rebuts claims of delay in DMZ mine blast investigation, calling them distortions

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) on the 24th rebutted opposition claims that the on-site investigation into the suspected landmine explosion in the western front Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) had been delayed, calling them "distorted allegations inconsistent with the facts." Regarding criticism that an on-site investigation was conducted on the same day as the 2015 North Korean box mine incident, the JCS explained that the area then was a secured zone, making the circumstances different from this case. It added that the site of the latest accident lies close to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), a high-risk area where the explosion is believed to have occurred while operational troops were pioneering a search path using metal detectors for the first time.

The JCS said it has formed a task force led by the deputy JCS commander and is preparing a joint on-site investigation in consultation with operational units, relevant agencies, and the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission. According to the JCS, the military is carrying out the organization of operational personnel, training, step-by-step safety assessments of movement routes, and reviews of surveillance and communications status. To accurately identify the location of the incident, personnel who conducted the operation at the time will be included in the on-site investigation, with preparations taking into account the degree to which they have overcome post-traumatic stress, it said.

The opposition, including the People Power Party, had raised the delay issue, saying the military decided to conduct the on-site investigation only after the Chuseok holiday. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, claimed on social media on the 24th that "deliberately delaying the on-site investigation would constitute a clear act of 'benefiting the enemy.'"