Ruling and Opposition Parties Speak With One Voice in Condemning North Korea

At an urgent question-and-answer session of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee on the 29th, lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties spoke with one voice in condemning North Korea over the landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and urged the government to respond resolutely. On the circumstances surrounding the incident and the military's investigation and announcement process, however, the two sides were sharply divided.

Ruling party floor leader Kim Byung-ju of the Democratic Party said, "Based on the circumstantial evidence the military has presented, the mines are judged to have been planted by North Korea. This is a violation of the armistice agreement and a clear provocation." Opposition floor leader Lim Jong-deuk of the People Power Party also said, "If North Korea carried out this provocation and our soldiers were injured, the government must respond firmly."

Unlike their condemnation of North Korea, the ruling and opposition parties differed over the circumstances of the incident and the military's investigation and announcement process. Kim Byung-ju assessed that the Joint Chiefs of Staff's interim briefing was detailed enough to dispel doubts. He also noted, "It is presumed that after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared the two hostile states doctrine in December 2023, work to fortify the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) as a border and to lay mines began in 2024." He added, "This work began under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, and if proper action had been taken then, this unfortunate incident would not have happened."

The opposition, calling the investigation and announcement sluggish, took aim at President Lee Jae-myung. Han Ki-ho of the People Power Party asked Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung, "Did the President say nothing at all about this incident until he returned to the country? Doesn't that mean no instructions were given?" Chairman Jin replied, "The President did not personally give me any instructions."

The Democratic Party took issue with independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon for disclosing the investigation schedule just one day before the on-site inspection was to take place. Kim Byung-ju asked Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul, "A lawmaker announced the investigation schedule and disparaged soldiers as 'pieces of dung.' Should he apologize, and will you take legal action?" Minister Kang responded, "The remark was inappropriate. We will demand an apology and review (legal action)."

The Defense Committee attempted to adopt a resolution condemning North Korea's armed provocations and demanding measures to prevent a recurrence, but failed to reach agreement. Members of the People Power Party insisted on adding a clause pledging not to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea, and consensus could not be reached. The committee decided to hold further bipartisan consultations going forward.