'Field investigation team to begin mission once preparations are complete'

A Surion helicopter moves above the southern limit line of the demilitarized zone on the western front in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. Several Army soldiers were seriously wounded Thursday in what is believed to have been a land mine explosion in a nearby section of the DMZ, and military authorities are investigating the cause. [Yonhap]
A Surion helicopter moves above the southern limit line of the demilitarized zone on the western front in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday. Several Army soldiers were seriously wounded Thursday in what is believed to have been a land mine explosion in a nearby section of the DMZ, and military authorities are investigating the cause. [Yonhap]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday that JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yeong-seung visited the 25th Infantry Division to assess the overall situation and check operational readiness alongside the Ground Operations Command commander, the acting 1st Corps commander, the 25th Division commander and members of the joint field investigation task force.

Jin said the joint field investigation must be carried out with meticulous attention to command and control, communications, rehearsals and safety measures to ensure a thorough probe while keeping soldiers safe, the JCS added.

The joint field investigation task force, headed by the JCS vice chairman, has continued its mission through the chuseok holiday, and the field investigation team set to be deployed on site is expected to begin its mission once safety preparations are complete, the JCS said.

The JCS also dismissed claims circulating in some quarters that the reconnaissance battalion commander and a staff sergeant wounded in the incident had been evacuated by a US military helicopter. It said the two were first airlifted from inside the DMZ using a hoist aboard a South Korean military Medevac helicopter — a KUH-1M — and that other personnel who were able to walk on their own were moved to a safe location before also being evacuated by Medevac helicopter.

The UN Command Military Armistice Commission visited the 25th Division on Tuesday to confirm details of the explosion and review matters related to the joint field investigation with South Korean military officials. The JCS said South Korea and the UNC have agreed from the outset that securing safety measures in advance must be the top priority, and have been coordinating preparations for the joint field investigation accordingly.


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