South Korea’s National Assembly defense committee passes a resolution condemning North Korea over land mine explosions near the inter-Korean border (DMZ) that injure three South Korean soldiers. Outlets report the committee’s adoption follows internal deliberations after rival parties proposed competing versions of the measure.
Korea Times and Yonhap describe how the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) presses for swift adoption, while the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) calls for further discussion over the resolution’s wording. The PPP argues that the text should more explicitly describe the blasts as provocation by North Korea, saying the government’s stance is too ambiguous and has described the incident in terms that could be read as an accident or unfortunate incident. The reports note that Unification Minister Chung Dong-young says it cannot be conclusively determined whether the blasts were a deliberate attack.
Despite differences over how directly to attribute responsibility, all sources characterize the dispute as focused on the resolution’s language rather than the committee’s overall decision to condemn North Korea.
