Na Kyung-won: "The DMZ Explosion Was Clearly Caused by a North Korean Wooden-Box Mine... Why Was It Deleted from the Report?"

[Financial News] People Power Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won claimed on the 28th that the initial military report on the mine explosion in the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) had included the phrase "suspected North Korean wooden-box mine," but that it was later deleted. She also called for an investigation into the truth and disciplinary action against those responsible, accusing the government of failing to take appropriate measures despite being aware in advance of the possibility that North Korean forces had planted mines south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
Na Kyung-won held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center that day and said, "The phrase 'suspected North Korean wooden-box mine,' which I had already raised, was clearly included in the initial military report. Please also clearly determine who had it deleted and for what reason."
Na Kyung-won stressed that it was clear the DMZ mine accident had been caused by a North Korean wooden-box mine. "I understand that multiple military officials testified that personnel at the scene witnessed North Korean wooden-box mines," she said. "It is simply common knowledge that an M14 mine used by the Republic of Korea may fracture an ankle when a person is wearing overshoes, but does not sever it. Nevertheless, they refuse to say that it was a North Korean wooden-box mine, claiming that there are other testimonies. They are muddying the waters to the very end."
She also rejected the possibility that it was a displaced mine. Na Kyung-won said, "No military buries just one mine. They bury them in groups. If the mines had been displaced, they would have come down one by one, spaced apart. Because they were buried, there was a chain explosion. They were wooden-box mines planted by North Korean forces."
She also argued that the accident had been foreseeable. Na Kyung-won referred to a fact sheet released by the United Nations Command (UNC) on June 23, which stated, "An investigation is underway into North Korea's crossings of the MDL and mine-laying activities." She criticized the Lee Jae-myung administration, saying, "It was clearly a dereliction of duty for the Lee Jae-myung administration to ignore and turn a blind eye to the warning signs. It was the Lee Jae-myung administration that sent the soldiers into a deadly situation."
Na Kyung-won said, "I requested documents showing what measures the Ministry of National Defense, the Republic of Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff (ROK JCS), and other authorities took between the UNC's raising of the issue and the accident, but there has still been no response. In the end, it was the Lee Jae-myung administration that sent the soldiers into a deadly situation through this explosion."
Na Kyung-won also said, "I will introduce a resolution condemning the allegations that the Lee Jae-myung administration concealed and downplayed the mine explosion and troop injuries involving mines believed to have been planted by North Korean forces; calling for the preservation of evidence, a fact-finding investigation, and punishment for those responsible; and urging the recovery, proper treatment, and support of the injured soldiers." She added, "We demand that experts recommended by the opposition party be included without fail. A fact-finding team must be formed that includes the opposition and experts recommended by the opposition."

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