The U.S. Embassy clarified that Ambassador Kang Kyung-wha's statement, "I do not view the DMZ explosion as an unintentional accident," was intended to emphasize North Korea's violation of the armistice agreement, amid speculation that it was a direct criticism of President Lee Jae-myung.
On October 13, the embassy stated, "The specific expression used by our government was meant to encourage and comfort the injured soldiers and their families." It added, "Ambassador Kang also expressed deep sorrow as a member of the public and as an ambassador regarding the harm suffered by our military."
The embassy emphasized that according to the final investigation results from the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 5, the explosion was caused by landmines that North Korean troops had deliberately placed south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), highlighting the violation of the armistice agreement.
Previously, during a National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee audit on October 12, Ambassador Kang stated, "Based on the information released by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, these are mines installed by North Korea, and in this case, they were intentionally placed. Therefore, I do not view it as an unintentional accident."
This led to allegations that Kang was criticizing President Lee, who referred to the DMZ incident as an 'unintentional accident' in his National Armed Forces Day speech on October 1, expressing condolences to the injured soldiers and their families. The term 'unintentional accident' has sparked controversy in the political arena.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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