'Shall I place it in front of the minister?' — North Korean mine model sparks clash at audit

A model of a North Korean land mine appeared Tuesday at the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Unification. When People Power Party lawmaker Park Chung-kwon offered to place the model in front of Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young, Jeong shot back: "I'll pass."

Park produced the mine model during his questioning, saying he had brought it "to raise awareness about North Korean land mines" and asked permission to set it on the table in front of Jeong.

Jeong let out a hollow laugh and replied, "Is that thing safe? I'll pass." He then signaled his displeasure, saying the national audit "is supposed to be a forum for serious debate on state affairs."

Park fired back immediately. "It's a verified safe model," he said. "How can someone who won't even let a mine model be placed in front of him turn around and say it's 'hard to call an attack' and that it was 'defensive' when it comes to North Korea's land mine provocation?"

The dispute extended to how the mine explosion itself should be characterized. Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon noted that President Lee Jae Myung had described the incident as an "unexpected accident" in his Armed Forces Day address on Oct. 1, while South Korea's ambassador to the United States had said it was "not an unexpected accident" — and pressed Jeong repeatedly for his own position.

Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Chung-rae then interjected. He said he had asked ChatGPT what "unexpected accident" meant and that it had "helpfully explained it means an accident that was not anticipated or foreseen — in other words, something that happened suddenly out of nowhere." He added: "Rep. Han, take note. You're probably not smarter than ChatGPT."

Jung's own visa troubles also came under scrutiny. Jung had been unable to join the overseas leg of the national audit in the United States after his US visa application was put on hold.

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Young-ho criticized the situation, saying that under the South Korea-US alliance, lawmakers traveling on official business had always been granted visas "barring special circumstances." He called the move "contrary to common sense" and said it amounted to "the US administration obstructing the national audit."

Hong Ki-won, a fellow Democratic Party lawmaker and former diplomat, said the episode had "clearly had a negative effect on the friendly atmosphere between South Korea and the United States" and called for Foreign Minister Cho Hyun to send a formal letter to the US side. He also proposed that Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee Chairman Song Seok-jun send a letter signed by all committee members requesting that such an incident not recur.

Song drew a line, saying that "if our ally the United States acted this way, there must be a reason" and that joining in collective outrage was "not appropriate." He added that committee members and the government alike "need to fundamentally reflect on themselves."

Park pushed harder. He argued that the visa denial stemmed from Jeong leaking military secrets and appointing a figure with a questionable background — like former National Intelligence Service Director Lee Jong-seok — to head an intelligence agency. "The alliance with the United States is in ruins, and you want to protest to America and drive Americans out?" he said. "Are you asking us all to be anti-American together?"