'Response must go beyond reinstalling loudspeakers'

'Government's North Korea policy submissive, appeasement-driven'

People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-se [Yonhap]
People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-se [Yonhap]

People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Young-se said Wednesday that the ruling party appeared to be deflecting blame over a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone onto the previous administration, insisting that South Korean forces had "completely failed to respond properly" when North Korea laid mines along the military demarcation line in September 2025 under the guise of terrain modification.

Speaking on KBS Radio that day, Kwon said it was "unacceptable" for the ruling party to push unverified claims while leaving out that failure. "They want to blame the Yoon Suk Yeol government, but they're conveniently omitting the fact that our military did not respond at all when the so-called terrain-modification mine-laying operation took place in September 2025," he said.

Kwon drew a parallel with the 2020 killing of a South Korean fisheries official by North Korean forces at sea. "Back then, President Moon Jae-in had a UN General Assembly speech two days after that incident," he said. "This time, the incident occurred on the 21st, and the president had a UN General Assembly speech around the 23rd."

He said the National Security Council should have convened without fail. "Normally, even a ballistic missile launch triggers an NSC meeting," he said. "I recall that even during the previous government, when I was minister, we held one by video conference. This time, a video conference at minimum — or a session led by the most senior NSC official remaining in Korea — should absolutely have taken place."

On the question of whether the incident constituted a violation of the Armistice Agreement, Kwon said the defense minister and other senior Joint Chiefs of Staff generals had clearly stated that it was. "What remains now is how we respond," he said. "I believe we must do at minimum what was done in 2015 — reinstall and reactivate the loudspeakers — and go beyond that."

He went on to say he could not help but criticize the government's broader North Korea policy as "submissive and appeasement-driven." "Even if it goes against their own philosophy, I think they need to take a harder line in accordance with the will of the entire public," he said.

Regarding the opposition's move to introduce a resolution calling for a full investigation into the mine blast, Kwon said the resolution should condemn North Korea and make clear whether South Korea had responded adequately each time Pyongyang violated the Armistice Agreement along the MDL. "It must also be clarified why the government concealed these incidents rather than disclosing them," he said.


mp1256@heraldcorp.com