Unification Ministry vows to press ahead with Korean Peninsula peace policy

The Ministry of Unification said Thursday it would work with relevant agencies to prevent a recurrence of the landmine explosion and would "pursue the Korean Peninsula peace and coexistence policy without wavering."

The ministry's spokesperson office made the remarks in a statement responding to Kim Yo-jong's comments, saying her statement "once again confirmed how high the wall of mistrust between the two Koreas has grown due to years of hostile and confrontational policy."

Earlier, Kim issued a statement Wednesday dismissing the South Korean military's investigation findings — which concluded that a landmine explosion in the western front demilitarized zone was most likely caused by a North Korean mine — and called it "a self-directed farce by Seoul."

"We believe that ending prolonged hostility and confrontation and building a peace in which there is no need to fight is the most realistic path to protecting the lives and safety of the people," the ministry said.

Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young also said Wednesday on Facebook that the incident "must not become a pretext for disparaging or distorting our efforts toward peace on the Korean Peninsula." Jeong cut his European tour short and returned home early.