Experts propose reinstalling loudspeakers, clearing mine-laden areas

UN Command's options limited beyond warnings, 'quiet resolution' its guiding principle

Unification minister cuts Europe trip short

Ruling and opposition parties trade blame over failed condemnation resolution

The western front demilitarized zone as seen from the border area of Paju, Gyeonggi Province. [Yonhap]
The western front demilitarized zone as seen from the border area of Paju, Gyeonggi Province. [Yonhap]

South Korea's military and the United Nations Command have officially confirmed that explosions in the demilitarized zone were caused by North Korean mine-laying and constitute a violation of the Armistice Agreement, but both sides are now wrestling with what to do next. Experts say statements and warning shots alone will not move Pyongyang, and are calling for more assertive measures — including reinstalling loudspeakers along the border and clearing mine-laden terrain.

Shin Bum-chul, a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute and a former vice minister of national defense, said Thursday that the UN Command's role has inherent limits. "The UN Command fundamentally seeks to avoid conflict, so the most it can do is notify North Korea of the armistice violation and lodge a protest," he said.

According to a fact sheet the UN Command released in June, once a North Korean armistice violation is confirmed, the command plans to send direct warnings and notifications through bilateral military communication channels. However, the document also states that the command will "quietly resolve issues through military channels to prevent political tensions from escalating" — a passage critics say underscores those limits.

Shin said South Korea's military should move on its own to resume loudspeaker broadcasts directed at the North. "Resuming loudspeaker broadcasts — or even just reinstalling the speakers, which are currently dismantled, without actually broadcasting — would put considerable pressure on North Korea," he said.

Eom Hyo-sik, director of the defense and security division at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, pointed to the use of demining equipment during the earlier construction of road links along the Gyeongui and Donghae lines, and proposed deploying heavy machinery to clear mine-laden areas as one possible response.

"Since North Korea is freely building tactical roads on its side of the MDL, it is proportionate for us to carry out equivalent work on the southern side in coordination with the UN Command," Eom said. "Instead of sending in troops, we could pilot the deployment of demining equipment such as the MK4 in the 25th Division's area to clear patrol routes."

He added that cleared routes would improve troop mobility, make it easier to detect North Korean infiltrations and help defectors crossing the border. "If North Korea objects, we could use that as an opening for dialogue — inviting them to meet and discuss the matter," he said.

Shin drew a parallel with the 1976 Panmunjom axe murder incident, after which US forces removed a poplar tree in a deliberate operation. "If we use heavy machinery to overturn mines in areas where terrain changes have been detected, no one gets hurt," he said. "It is our territory, so it is not an armistice violation, and it can be done with the UN Command's cooperation."

Shin also proposed inter-military talks as an exit strategy. "This mine incident should be used as an opportunity to propose negotiations between military authorities on stabilizing the DMZ, including establishing clearer boundary lines," he said. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul had earlier called on North Korea to come to the table so both sides could jointly verify the incident, saying he would push strongly for inter-Korean dialogue.

Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young, who had departed for Europe despite the mine explosion — citing a pre-arranged schedule — canceled the remaining engagements and returned home Thursday. Writing on Facebook before boarding his return flight, Jeong said "measures will be needed based on the final investigation results," but added that the findings "must not become a pretext for disparaging or distorting our efforts toward peace on the Korean Peninsula."

The Ministry of Unification, responding to a statement by Kim Yo-jong, director of the Korean Workers' Party's General Affairs Department, said it would "work with relevant ministries to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of tragedies such as this mine explosion, while steadfastly pursuing a policy of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula." It added: "Creating a peace in which we no longer need to fight, by ending the long era of hostility and confrontation, is the most realistic path to protecting the lives and safety of our people."

The ruling and opposition parties continued to trade barbs Thursday over the DMZ mine explosion. Both the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party demanded an apology from North Korea, but each blamed the other for the failure to adopt a condemnation resolution.

Democratic Party Floor Leader Han Byung-do said at a policy coordination meeting that "the joint investigation by the military and the UN Command has confirmed this incident is a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement by North Korea," adding: "We strongly condemn North Korea's provocative act, which threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula, and urge it to offer a responsible apology and take steps to prevent a recurrence."

However, Han placed the blame for the failed resolution squarely on the People Power Party. The two sides had agreed that North Korea violated the armistice, but clashed over language in the draft resolution calling for a "review of humanitarian aid to North Korea."

"It is contradictory to block adoption by attaching additional conditions and then criticize the government's resolve to respond," Han said. "We ask the People Power Party to stop spreading conspiracy theories that undermine military morale and stoke public anxiety."

The People Power Party, for its part, demanded an apology and accountability from North Korea while sharpening its attacks on the Democratic Party.

People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, speaking at a supreme council meeting Thursday, called the incident "a clear act of aggression that cannot be forgiven by any words," and said the party "strongly demands an immediate apology from North Korean authorities and full restoration measures, including the removal of mines from the DMZ."

Turning to the Democratic Party, Jang said: "The chair of the National Defense Committee, Jin Seong-jun, claims the North Korean mines are defensive. If planting lethal weapons across a boundary line counts as defensive, then what act of North Korean aggression or provocation would not be?"

He also said: "The Democratic Party pays lip service to condemning North Korea while pouring its energy into attacking the previous administration. One could be forgiven for wondering whether it is the ruling party of the Republic of Korea or the Yeouido branch of the Korean Workers' Party."


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