"I Felt Choked Up Carrying My Injured Comrade Out" ... 'Mine Explosion' Scene Captured on Body Camera

[Financial News] Jin Sung-joon, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who chairs the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, said he felt choked up after watching footage from the scene of a mine explosion in the western-sector DMZ.

Speaking on CBS Radio's "Park Sung-tae's News Show" on the 30th, Jin said, "On September 21, the day of the accident, I saw our soldiers enter through the gate to detect mines as they worked to open a new search route. When the explosion occurred, I also saw the injured soldiers support one another and crawl out through the search route. I felt choked up as well."
Jin, who had watched the accident footage in a closed-door session of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee the previous day, added, "I could truly feel the deep comradeship in the soldiers' devoted sense of duty and in the scenes of them embracing injured comrades and making their way out together."
The footage was reportedly recorded by two body cameras deployed at the scene with 18 soldiers during the 25th Division's search operation. Jin explained, "Two body cameras were deployed, but one did not work and only one was operational. I watched the footage from the one that worked."
Regarding Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul's assessment that the mines had been planted by North Korea, Jin explained, "The military determined that this could not have happened unless the mines had been deliberately planted. Four mines were observed within the accident site, which had a radius of about two meters. Two of the mines exploded. The soldiers who were retreating detected and saw another, while troops deployed to investigate the site confirmed the fourth."

Meanwhile, after watching the confidential body-camera footage at the National Defense Committee the previous day, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Byung-joo, a former Army general and a graduate of the Korea Military Academy's 40th class, strongly criticized the opposition. Referring to People Power Party lawmakers Na Kyung-won and Yoon Sang-hyun, as well as independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who had called for an on-site investigation, he said, "If you don't know military operations, you should keep your mouth shut. I don't know how you can act like that when soldiers' lives are at stake." He added, "I cried when I watched the footage."
In response, People Power Party lawmaker Han Ki-ho, a retired Army lieutenant general and a graduate of the Korea Military Academy's 31st class, said, "Lawmaker Kim Byung-joo is an artilleryman, but we are infantrymen who entered the DMZ and carried out operations ourselves. Don't attack opposition lawmakers so pettily, as if you are the only one who knows anything." The exchange sparked a commotion.
[email protected] Kim Hee-sun Reporter