The rival parties traded criticism on the Chuseok holiday over a recent explosion, believed to have been caused by a landmine, in the Demilitarized Zone on the western front. The People Power Party kept up its attack on the government, saying the on-site investigation is being delayed. The Democratic Party countered that the People Power Party is using soldiers' lives and safety as a tool for political fighting.
Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, appeared on YouTube channels run by NewDaily TV and the Maeil Shinmun on the 25th and said, "Whether North Korea planted it or it washed down from North Korea during the floods, shouldn't President Lee Jae-myung state a position?" He added that the government is "busy worrying about how Kim Jong-un will react."
On his Facebook page, Jang also argued that the mine was most likely planted by North Korean troops, saying it was "a clear act of aggression that requires the highest level of response." He continued, "If they try to cover our eyes with a convenient cover-up, it will only add grounds for impeachment."
Chung Jom-sig, the People Power Party floor leader, also criticized the government through Facebook for failing to respond properly. "A soldier's ankle was severed by a mine that is all but certain to be North Korea's doing," Chung said. "Far from responding, they even pushed the investigation back because of Chuseok, and Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul is reciting, 'I came, I saw, I conquered.'"
Yoon Sang-hyun, a People Power Party lawmaker, held a news conference at the National Assembly and strongly rebuked the military authorities for postponing the on-site investigation. "Thorough measures are needed for the safety of the investigation personnel, but are the lives and safety of soldiers an unavoidable sacrifice?" Yoon said. "Transparently disclose to the public the risk assessment conducted at the time of the DMZ operation, who approved it and the reporting chain."
The Democratic Party, by contrast, criticized the People Power Party for using the suspected mine explosion as a tool for political fighting.
Shin Hyun-young, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said in a commentary that day, "Over the suspected mine explosion in the DMZ, the People Power Party has claimed the government is deliberately delaying the on-site investigation and has thrown around words like 'destruction of evidence,' 'treason' and 'impeachment.'" She added, "They are using even the lives and safety of soldiers as a tool for political fighting."
Shin said the military has already begun investigating the incident, yet the People Power Party is misleading the public as though the probe were being deliberately delayed. "Unless a sufficient risk assessment and safety measures for the site are in place, the safety of our soldiers cannot be guaranteed during the on-site investigation," she said. "What the National Assembly should be doing now is not shoving soldiers into a dangerous area, but helping them determine the cause without a shred of doubt after safety has been secured."
Kim Byung-joo, a Democratic Party lawmaker and former four-star general, used Facebook to criticize a one-person protest staged the previous day in front of the Ministry of National Defense by Han Dong-hoon, an independent lawmaker. Han had held the solo protest outside the ministry calling for an immediate start to the on-site investigation into the suspected mine explosion in the DMZ. On Facebook, Han also criticized the delay, writing, "If they couldn't go in until now because it was dangerous, does it suddenly stop being dangerous after taking the Chuseok holiday off?"
In response, Kim said, "Mixing up combat readiness with forensic examination of an accident site is telling your subordinates to advance down the road to death." He argued, "On ground where more mines may be buried, you have to carve out a path one careful step at a time, checking for safety."
"Telling them to go in even if it means deploying a separate investigation team is the same mindset as the old political prosecutors who said catch the culprit even if you have to fabricate it, without blood or tears," Kim said. "As the ruling party's liaison on the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, I will thoroughly review the entire investigation process. Using wounded soldiers as material for political attacks should not happen, regardless of party."
