Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon staged a one-person protest outside the Ministry of National Defense on the 24th, the first day of the Chuseok holiday, demanding an immediate on-site investigation into a suspected mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone. With no field investigation conducted three days after the blast, Han argued that evidence could be lost if the probe is pushed back until after the holiday.
Speaking at a press conference in front of the ministry building in Seoul's Yongsan District that afternoon, Han said, "I am warning the Lee Jae-myung administration, the Democratic Party and the Defense Ministry," and called on them to "begin the on-site investigation immediately, right now."
"Finding evidence at an accident site or a crime scene is a race against time," he said. "Can anyone guarantee that no evidence has been damaged or lost at the hands of North Korean troops over these three days?"
He also pointed to rain forecast during the Chuseok holiday. "If it rains, key evidence such as explosive residue and fragments could be washed away and moved from their original positions," Han said, arguing that authorities must not end up unable to determine the cause of the accident by citing a lack of evidence once the findings are in.
He noted that the site lies in a blind spot for military surveillance equipment. Raising the possibility that North Korean troops could approach the site to destroy evidence or leave other evidence behind, he said, "I cannot understand taking the entire Chuseok holiday off and saying the investigation will come later."
The accident occurred on the morning of the 21st in the DMZ under the jurisdiction of the Army's 25th Division on the western front. An explosive device believed to be a mine detonated as South Korean troops were clearing a search route ahead of a United Nations Command on-site investigation, after the military had detected changes in the terrain near the Military Demarcation Line.
Three military officers taking part in the operation were injured. Two of them, including a search battalion commander, suffered serious injuries and were airlifted to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital. Their lives are not in danger. Military authorities say they have not yet determined whether the explosive was a mine laid by South Korean forces, one that drifted from North Korea, or one planted by North Korean troops, and that they are investigating with all possibilities open.
The military says it set the timing of the on-site investigation with the safety of its troops in mind. Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul, addressing the delay on the 22nd, cited the trauma suffered by the soldiers directly involved and indicated that it would be difficult to send them back to the site immediately. The location, adjacent to the MDL and carrying a risk of mines, was also taken into account.
Responding to that explanation, Han said, "Are you saying that even if the enemy invades, you will rest during the Chuseok holiday and fight later?" He argued that the site must be preserved, even if that requires deploying a separate team of investigators. After the press conference, Han continued his one-person protest outside the ministry building holding a panel that read: "A mine blast investigation after the holiday? Don't wait for evidence to be lost — investigate now."
