Kwon calls DMZ mine blast 'North Korean provocation,' vows active veterans review

Minister of Patriots and Veterans Kwon O-eul has characterized the landmine explosion in the western front's demilitarized zone that wounded three South Korean soldiers as "a North Korean provocation" and pledged to pursue veterans benefits reviews actively on behalf of the injured troops. He also said the ministry would revise its screening criteria to address cases in which soldiers recognized by the military as having died in the line of duty are subsequently denied benefits by his ministry.

Speaking at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans' national audit by the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Kwon said the wounded soldiers "were sacrificed by North Korea's provocation" and that the ministry would conduct its reviews proactively.

The incident occurred on Sept. 21, when soldiers from the Army's 25th Division were on operations in the western front DMZ. The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced its final investigation findings Monday, concluding that the soldiers were wounded by a plastic anti-personnel mine planted by North Korean forces south of the Military Demarcation Line. The Joint Chiefs cited a joint on-site investigation with the United Nations Command and forensic analysis by the National Forensic Service as the basis for its determination.

Asked whether President Lee Jae Myung's description of the incident as an "unexpected accident" in his Armed Forces Day address Thursday was appropriate, Kwon declined to offer a direct assessment, saying it would be improper for a minister to comment on the president's words.

In that address, Lee had said, "My heart still aches when I think of our soldiers who were injured in an unexpected accident in the demilitarized zone not long ago." Cheong Wa Dae communications chief Seong Gi-hong said Friday that the expression came in the context of consoling the wounded soldiers and their families, adding that the administration's position — to take stern action based on the results of a thorough investigation — remained unchanged.

The audit also surfaced concerns about a mismatch between the military's recognition of line-of-duty deaths and the ministry's own benefits rulings. Lawmakers noted that 261 of the 1,215 soldiers — about 21.5 percent — recognized by the military as having died in the line of duty over the past five years were denied benefits by the ministry. Kwon said the ministry would "improve its screening criteria and conduct reviews with a more forward-looking approach," adding that it would make every effort to respect the Defense Ministry's judgment and reach consistent outcomes.

Kwon's past use of the term "People's Republic" when referring to North Korea also drew criticism at the audit. People Power Party lawmaker Park Jun-tae said the phrase, which Kwon used at a press briefing on May 29, was inappropriate and called for a correction.

Kwon said he had used the official state name because he was explaining the project to recover the remains of independence activist Ahn Jung-geun, in which China has required North Korea's consent — a context in which he judged the formal name to be appropriate. He maintained that while he uses "North Korea" in everyday speech, using the official state name is correct in formal settings.