Jang Dong-hyuk Raises Even Impeachment and Arrest of Lee over 'DMZ Incident'... Ruling Party Pushes Back Against 'Conspiracy Theories'

[Financial News] The opposition bloc has continued its offensive, even raising the possibility of impeaching President Lee Jae Myung, following an explosion presumed to have been caused by a mine in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the confidential repatriation of North Korean prisoners. It has described the ongoing instability in inter-Korean relations as a 'collapse of national security' and has also called President Lee a 'murderer' and a 'traitor to the country.' The Democratic Party of Korea countered the opposition's offensive by calling it 'conspiracy theories.'
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk held a press conference at the National Assembly on the 27th, the final day of the holiday break, and said, "The South Korean people are deeply outraged that President Lee is protecting Kim Jong Un's feelings. Even though it is obvious to anyone that North Korea was behind it, he has consistently refused to say anything."
He said, "There is a very high possibility that the cause of the accident was a wooden-box mine recently planted by North Korean troops after crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). If so, this is an unequivocal act of aggression," adding, "We must swiftly deliver the highest-level response commensurate with it."
Jang also claimed that the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (ROK JCS) and the United Nations Command (UNC) began preliminary inspections for an on-site investigation five days after the accident. "Since it has even rained, the evidence will not have remained intact," he said. "The administration hopes that the evidence of North Korean responsibility will disappear."
He further stressed, "I understand that our military rejected the UNC's on-site investigation. If President Lee deliberately delayed the investigation, this is clearly an act benefiting the enemy. It constitutes a crime involving a foreign enemy that is not covered by the president's immunity from prosecution. It is a crime warranting not only impeachment but also his immediate arrest and trial."
Regarding the decision not to make public the repatriation to South Korea of two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine, he said, "They tried to hide something that there was no reason to hide." He added, "This administration likely did not welcome the repatriation itself from the outset, because North Korean prisoners coming to South Korea would be an uncomfortable matter for North Korea's Kim Jong Un."
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon held a press conference in front of the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul's Yongsan District that day and claimed that the government had rejected the UNC's request for a swift on-site investigation. He said, "The UNC Military Armistice Commission requested the sharing of data, body-camera footage, and interviews with the injured, as well as access to the site, but the military refused." He then asserted, "In the end, the Lee Jae Myung administration is inherently concerned about the Kim Jong Un regime's reaction." He also warned, "This administration will be finished if it leaves the site exposed to torrential rain for six days and then says the cause is unknown because of insufficient evidence."
Meanwhile, Democratic Party of Korea chief spokesperson Park Seong-jun held a press briefing at the National Assembly and said, "There has been strong public criticism that the People Power Party is fueling anxiety by going beyond simple partisan fighting and even generating conspiracy theories over the DMZ explosion and the repatriation of North Korean prisoners from Ukraine. Our military and the UNC began a full-scale on-site investigation yesterday (the 26th). The People Power Party's claims of a conspiracy are nothing more than far-fetched assertions."
Regarding the repatriation of the North Korean prisoners from Ukraine, he stressed, "The Lee Jae Myung government secured the two young men's journey to South Korea through negotiations with Ukraine. It was agreed confidentially, taking into account the safety of the defectors, the well-being of their families remaining in North Korea, and the impact on the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The People Power Party is spreading conspiracy theories about this."
Addressing Jang, he brought up the past North Wind and Gun Wind incidents and hit back, saying, "It is absurd that you still expect to provoke security anxiety and gain political benefit by relying on conspiracy theories and such schemes. You should be ashamed."
[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter