Over Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Explosion, Ruling Party Says "Growing Consensus on Inter-Korean Peace," Opposition Calls It "Subservience to North Korea"

[Financial News] The ruling and opposition parties are clashing head-on over their views on North Korea and national security following a landmine explosion in the DMZ. The Democratic Party of Korea stressed "strong security and sustainable peace," saying signs of renewed dialogue between North Korea and the United States are emerging and consensus on an inter-Korean peace regime is growing. The People Power Party, however, raised the issue of President Lee Jae Myung's responsibility, arguing that the government's "subservient policy toward North Korea" was behind the delay in investigating the incident. Ahead of next month's parliamentary audit, the parties' confrontation over national security and the government's policy toward North Korea is intensifying around the DMZ incident.
Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said at a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly on the 28th, "Interest in security issues, including the DMZ explosion, signs of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, and the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, is growing, while support for an inter-Korean peace regime is also increasing." He added, "The Democratic Party of Korea will pursue both strong security and sustainable peace." Regarding the DMZ explosion, he offered "special words of comfort to the wounded commander and service members and their families," emphasizing, "The investigation into the explosion must be conducted transparently and thoroughly, without political wrangling or maneuvering."
The People Power Party stepped up its offensive, defining the DMZ incident as evidence of the government's failure in its policy toward North Korea. Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, said at a Supreme Council meeting that "the on-site investigation began only six days after the incident, and the government is even said to have rejected the United Nations Command's request for an on-site investigation." He argued, "Deliberately delaying the investigation and downplaying or covering up the incident would both be impossible without the president's instructions." He continued, "North Korea is firing missiles, sending fighter jets, crossing the DMZ and planting landmines, while the president went to the United States and called for sanctions against North Korea to be lifted." He added, "If the president ordered the incident to be covered up, that would constitute grounds for impeachment."
People Power Party lawmaker Chung Jeom-sik also criticized the government's vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula as a "subservient policy toward North Korea," saying, "The military has been unable to remain faithful to its fundamental mission because it is being politically pressured amid a delusion of fake peace." He also raised allegations that the military rejected the United Nations Command's requests to share information and allow access to the site on the day of the incident, and that the phrase "landmine presumed to be from North Korea" was deleted from the initial report. He said, "This must be fully uncovered through a National Assembly hearing and parliamentary investigation."
The Democratic Party of Korea hit back, saying that the opposition's raising of presidential responsibility before the investigation results were released amounted to the "politicization of national security." Han Byung-do, the party's floor leader, urged, "Adding assumption upon assumption and hounding the president before the investigation results are even released amounts to using the service members' sacrifice as a political tool. Stop immediately."
[email protected] Song Ji-won Reporter