Conflicting Accounts Over Wooden-Box Mine Sighting Cause Confusion... Kim Min-seok Visits DMZ, While PPP Calls It a "Political Show"

[Financial News] Several soldiers have testified that they saw an object resembling a wooden-box mine made of what appeared to be plastic near the site of an unidentified explosion in the western-front Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Multiple soldiers who were at the scene of the DMZ explosion on Aug. 21 were found to have described seeing an object shaped like a wooden-box mine. Wooden-box mines are explosives that North Korean forces have buried near the DMZ.
However, other testimony reportedly indicated that the object was not a wooden-box mine. The military has therefore decided to withhold a final determination until an accurate on-site investigation and forensic examination are completed.
Hwang Ju-bong, head of Operations Division 1 at the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (ROK JCS), said at a Ministry of National Defense briefing on Aug. 28, "Some personnel testified that the object's shape resembled a wooden-box mine and that its material appeared to be plastic, while another person testified that it was believed to be a different type."
Hwang added, "There are several mines whose shape and color resemble those of wooden-box mines," but said, "We will verify the matter clearly at the scene."
The soldiers who reported seeing an object resembling a wooden-box mine had received specialized training to identify the shapes and materials of both enemy and friendly mines. However, the ROK JCS said further on-site investigation was needed to determine whether the object they saw had been buried or washed away by flooding. It also said the site needed to be examined in connection with testimony that one or two unexploded wooden-box mines remained there. The ROK JCS added that the cause would be determined through an examination by the National Forensic Service, along with the type and shape of the mine.
The Ministry of National Defense said an investigation was underway into claims that the three military officers injured in the DMZ explosion may not have been wearing mine-protective overshoes.
Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul visited the National Assembly on Aug. 28 and separately briefed Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party (PPP), on the DMZ explosion. Speaking to reporters, Kang said, "There are also accounts that it was not a wooden-box mine." He added, "Some aspects are difficult to determine, but the site is under investigation. We will explain the facts transparently to the public as soon as they are clarified."
Responding to opposition claims that the military had downplayed or concealed the incident and responded belatedly, Kang said, "That is not the case. How could the military conceal anything? We will proceed transparently." He added, "There has been absolutely no deliberate delay or concealment."
Kim Min-seok visited the site of a Guard Post (GOP; general outpost) unit under the jurisdiction of the 25th Infantry Division (Republic of Korea) with lawmakers from the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly. Chun Ha-ram, floor leader of the Reform Party and a member of the committee, also inspected the unit site with ruling-party lawmakers.
The PPP, however, declined to participate, calling the Democratic Party of Korea-led visit to the DMZ nothing more than a political show. Entering the DMZ requires approval from the United Nations Command (UNC), so even lawmakers cannot enter easily. They were only to receive a briefing at the 25th Infantry Division's command post.
Jang Dong-hyuk said, "If the mine explosion in the DMZ was caused by a mine newly laid by North Korea, it is an unmistakable act of aggression. It cannot be tolerated."
The Democratic Party of Korea responded that the PPP was politicizing the incident despite an agreement between the South Korean military and the United Nations Command to conduct a joint investigation into the area where North Korean troops are suspected of having crossed the Military Demarcation Line.
The Democratic Party of Korea said, "The area where our soldiers suffered serious injuries is an unexplored part of the DMZ whose safety has not been confirmed. We must not pressure our soldiers to enter an uncharted area where we cannot even estimate how many mines have been buried."


[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo, Lee Jong-yoon, and Song Ji-won Reporter