Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon sharply criticized Rep. Jin Sung-joon of the Democratic Party of Korea, chair of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, over remarks suggesting it is difficult to conclude that North Korea laid mines in the western section of the Demilitarized Zone with the intent of harming South Korean troops. "So are you saying they planted the mines for fun?" Han said.
Han wrote the comment on his Facebook page on the 29th, asking, "Does a mine, this cruel killing weapon, have any purpose other than to cause injury?" He added, "Is Chairman Jin the chairman of North Korea's defense committee or the Republic of Korea's defense committee?"
Jin, appearing on a radio program the same day, said, "Whether they were washed away or deliberately laid, it is true that North Korea bears responsibility in principle." But he added, "We need to be somewhat cautious about comparing this issue to the past wooden-box mine incident and taking military countermeasures in response."
Jin noted that North Korea's leader has been fortifying the border along the Military Demarcation Line based on his doctrine of two hostile states. "Whether they crossed the MDL and deliberately planted the mines to harm our troops is a somewhat different question," he said. "This area is one where our military does not normally conduct search operations."
"There are aspects that make it difficult to conclude definitively that the mines were planted with the purpose of harming our troops," Jin said. "If North Korea's mine-laying was for defensive purposes, we need to be cautious about a military response."
