Ahn Cheol-soo says Park Geun-hye's 2015 response holds answer to North Korea mine provocation

People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo said Thursday that the answer to North Korea's mine provocation in the demilitarized zone lies in the principled approach taken by former President Park Geun-hye in 2015.

Writing on his Facebook page, Ahn said President Lee Jae Myung must secure an apology from North Korea, along with guarantees against recurrence and compensation.

"Three soldiers were injured in a suspected mine explosion in the western front DMZ," Ahn said. "They are currently receiving treatment at the Capital Integrated Hospital, which is in my constituency. The military is investigating the cause, but circumstantial evidence strongly suggests North Korean wooden box mines are responsible."

He added that North Korean troops had recently crossed the MDL in the area to plant mines, and that the destructive force — severe enough to sever a soldier's ankle even while wearing mine-protective overshoes — indicated the mines were not of South Korean origin.

Ahn also criticized President Lee's response, saying Lee had left the country after making only a brief mention of the injured soldiers' recovery, with no message on establishing the facts, holding anyone accountable, or responding if North Korea's involvement is confirmed. "In his UN address, he spoke only of 'peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula' without a single word about this grave situation," Ahn said.

"The way to handle North Korea's mine provocations has already been established," he said. "During the wooden box mine incident in August 2015, former President Park Geun-hye secured an apology from North Korea through consistent principles and physical countermeasures."

Ahn said that once North Korea's involvement became clear, Park acted under the principle that "a clear apology and guarantees against recurrence are necessary," resuming front-line loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North for the first time in 11 years as a retaliatory measure. When North Korea responded by shelling Yeoncheon, South Korea fired back with K9 self-propelled howitzers, and Park immediately visited the Third Army Command, ordering troops to "respond to any further provocation with action first and report later, without political consideration."

"When we met North Korea's provocation with overwhelming deterrence, it ultimately raised the white flag," Ahn said. He noted that through a joint inter-Korean statement, the North expressed regret over the wooden box mines and pledged additional agreements, including holding official talks, resuming reunions of separated families and revitalizing civilian exchanges. "Yet the current Lee Jae Myung government has tilted toward appeasement, pulling back border lines and even shifting the MDL in the North's favor," he said.

Ahn said that if the explosion is confirmed as a North Korean mine provocation, the government must secure an apology, guarantees against recurrence and a commitment to compensation. "As former President Park demonstrated, consistent principles backed by effective deterrence will bring North Korea to the negotiating table," he said. "I will be watching to see whether President Lee has the will to do so."