Why the delay in investigating the DMZ mine blast?

Three South Korean soldiers were injured on Sept. 21 in an explosion believed to have been caused by a land mine while they were clearing a search route in the western sector of the demilitarized zone. Two were seriously injured. Determining the cause of the explosion and the mine’s origin should be the highest priority. Yet the first on-site investigation did not take place until Sunday, six days after the accident.

The military says time was needed to ensure safety because the blast occurred close to the military demarcation line, where troops were opening a new search route. That alone does not adequately explain the delay.

This is a serious security incident requiring investigators to determine whether the mine was planted by North Korean troops or washed down from the North. During the delay, the Chuseok holiday passed and rain fell. Over time, blast traces and debris can be damaged or lost. The priority should have been to secure the area and preserve evidence.

After the 2015 wooden-box mine explosions, evidence was collected immediately, and a joint investigation with the United Nations Command (UNC) concluded six days later that North Korean wooden-box mines were responsible. The military says conditions were different this time. It should explain exactly how they differed and why it took six days to reach the site.

More troubling is the government’s response. Claims have emerged that the UNC requested a prompt investigation, but the South Korean military declined, while the military says it prioritized safety and coordinated with the UNC. The government should disclose who requested what, when and why the military made its decisions. Instead, it has remained silent on key facts, inevitably fueling suspicions that it is being overly cautious toward North Korea.

Even ruling Democratic Party lawmaker Park Jie-won, a former National Intelligence Service director, publicly criticized the government, asking why officials were “hiding behind” bureaucracy instead of acting proactively. Reports that even the ruling party secretary of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee received no subsequent explanation should not be dismissed lightly.

Initial response is crucial in a security incident. Evidence disappears, and suspicions multiply with time. If a North Korean mine caused the explosion, North Korea must be held responsible. If the South Korean military mishandled the response, that must also be established and accountability imposed.

The government’s job is not to avoid political attacks but to establish the truth and accept responsibility. If it cannot uphold that basic democratic principle even when soldiers have shed blood, what exactly is the public supposed to trust?