Seoul pushes for dialogue with NK, but gov't speaks in different tones

President Lee Jae Myung’s renewed call for dialogue with North Korea following a recent land mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is highlighting differences in tone within his administration over how to respond to Pyongyang.

While the government remains committed to restoring inter-Korean dialogue, Cheong Wa Dae, the unification ministry and the military have differed in how they have addressed North Korea’s responsibility for the incident and how Seoul should respond.

Lee referred to the Sept. 21 explosion, which injured three South Korean soldiers, as an “unfortunate accident,” during his Armed Forces Day speech Thursday. Rather than directly blaming North Korea, he called on Pyongyang to “restore trust and resume the dialogue that has been severed.”

“Firm security means creating peace in which there is no need to fight,” Lee said, pledging to continue “practical steps” to reduce military tensions.

Cheong Wa Dae sought Friday to dispel criticism that Lee’s wording was intended to play down North Korea’s responsibility.

“The expression ‘unfortunate accident’ was used in the context of consoling the soldiers who were seriously injured and their families,” Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communications, said in a radio interview.

Seong said there had been “absolutely no change” in Lee’s position that necessary measures would be taken based on the results of a thorough investigation, adding that the government was considering such steps.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young put greater emphasis on engagement Friday, proposing talks with North Korea to clarify the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and prevent similar incidents.

Chung said only about 180 of the 1,292 markers originally installed along the 248-kilometer MDL remain, resulting in discrepancies in how South Korea, North Korea and the United Nations Command identify the line.

“Unless we resolve this issue, a similar accident could happen again at any time,” Chung said. “We need to meet and communicate. At the very least, we should begin talks to reconfirm and clearly establish the MDL.”

Asked whether Seoul should demand an apology from Pyongyang, Chung said it was “only natural,” while emphasizing that dialogue remained necessary.

“This is precisely why peaceful coexistence is more urgent,” he said. “This is not an issue that can be resolved through a hard-line versus hard-line confrontation.”

The military, however, has been more direct in assigning responsibility to North Korea.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul has pledged “appropriate and corresponding measures” over the incident, while the military has demanded an apology and “responsible measures” from Pyongyang.

Kang visited Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday, his first visit to the key U.S. military installation since taking office.

Kang later told reporters that he discussed the DMZ mine incident with U.S. Forces Korea Commander Gen. Xavier Brunson, who also leads the U.N. Command, and received briefings from him, adding that the U.N. Command was actively working on the matter. Asked when the final investigation results would be released, Kang said, “We should get it done soon,” without giving a specific timeline.

The U.N. Command has determined that a North Korean anti-personnel mine found south of the MDL constituted a violation of the Korean Armistice Agreement.