Lee orders transparent DMZ mine probe, waves off 'conspiracy theories'
President Lee Jae Myung called for a swift investigation with the United Nations Command and vowed to take "necessary measures based on what the investigation finds."
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House in central Seoul on Sept. 29.JOINT PRESS CORPS
President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday urged the military to “work closely with the United Nations Command” to determine what caused a land mine explosion in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) last week — a day after the Defense Ministry announced North Korea was highly likely behind the incident.
“The military should work closely with the United Nations Command to conduct a swift and thorough investigation and transparently establish what happened,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House in central Seoul. “We will take the necessary measures based on what the investigation finds.”
Three South Korean active-duty soldiers were injured in an unidentified explosion on Sept. 21 while conducting an operation south of the military demarcation line (MDL) in the western section of the DMZ.
Lee also dismissed allegations that the military had determined earlier that the mine was North Korean but held back the announcement because of his UN General Assembly keynote speech.
"National security should not be a partisan issue,” Lee said. “I hope no one will jeopardize national security by fueling baseless conspiracy theories over this incident.”
The president also extended his sympathies to the injured soldiers and their families and wished the soldiers a swift recovery.
Yet Lee did not issue a separate message to North Korea or elaborate on what the “necessary steps” might entail.
Lee, however, invoked the KF-21, Korea’s first domestically developed fighter jet, which the Air Force deployed on Sept. 22.
“Strong defense capabilities are a fundamental pillar of protecting our people and Korea’s national interests,” Lee said. “We must continue developing and fielding cutting-edge weapons systems through our own technology and capabilities to maintain an ironclad defense of our skies, land, seas and space.”
President Lee Jae Myung pledges allegiance to the national flag during a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House in central Seoul on Sept. 29.NEWS1
Lee also stressed the need to accelerate the development of nuclear-powered submarines and advanced hypersonic missile technology — which he called “key to self-reliant defense.”
Lee also signaled a pivot from growth-centered policies toward measures aimed at stabilizing public livelihoods. “We must move faster to ensure the benefits of growth reach every corner of people’s lives,” Lee said.
The president singled out three main pillars: housing, job creation and access to finance for ordinary households.
Lee also said the government plans to channel additional tax revenue into measures that directly improve people’s lives, noting that the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development raised Korea’s 2026 growth forecast by 1.1 percentage points to 3.7 percent.
“We should actively use the additional tax revenue generated by the growth and recovery achieved through the efforts of all our people to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives and help reduce inequality,” Lee said.
He also urged SMEs and Startups Minister Lee So-young to pay particular attention to small-business owners and the self-employed, whom he described as facing the greatest difficulties.
Lee also reiterated his administration’s push for what he calls “pragmatic reform.”
“We can never stop reform simply because it faces strong resistance and opposition,” Lee said. “But reform inevitably brings pain, so we must pursue practical and effective changes carefully and, wherever possible, quietly, while easing the pain of those being asked to give up vested interests.”
President Lee Jae Myung, center, speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House in central Seoul on Sept. 29.JOINT PRESS CORPS
On police reform under the new criminal justice system, Lee ordered tougher disciplinary measures, including dismissal for job-related misconduct. The president also called for stronger, more independent internal oversight.
Lee also praised Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan for leading investment negotiations with the United States as he recounted an exchange with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during the South Korea-U.S. summit in New York on Sept. 22.
“I had a brief chance to speak with Secretary Lutnick, and he told me our minister was exhausting to deal with and tough,” Lee said. “He must have been a very difficult counterpart. From our perspective, that makes him an excellent negotiator.”
“Secretary Lutnick is just as tough,” Kim said. Kim has been nicknamed the “tough guy” since Trump described him as a “very tough negotiator” during his visit to Korea for the APEC summit in Gyeongju last October.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
