Kim Yo-jong denies DMZ explosion and warns of retaliation in case of live fire

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Eun-jung = North Korean Workers' Party General Affairs Director Kim Yo-jong completely denied the military's announcement that it was highly likely that a North Korean landmine was the cause of the explosion that occurred in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the Western Front, and threatened to retaliate mercilessly if live fire is fired on the border using this as an excuse.

The Korean Central News Agency reported on the 30th that Director Kim said this in a statement on the 29th titled, 'Those responsible for the provocation must be prepared to pay the price for their self-made farce.'

In his statement, Director Kim claimed, “This incident is clearly a self-made drama, reminiscent of the ‘wooden box mine incident’ that caused an uproar in the world about 10 years ago in terms of the timing and method of provocation.”

The 2015 wooden box landmine incident refers to the serious injury of a South Korean military non-commissioned officer due to an explosion of a landmine believed to have been planted by the North Korean military after crossing south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). At the time, the military sent out a loudspeaker broadcast to North Korea as a corresponding measure.

Director Kim criticized, “What cannot be overlooked is the fact that this time, Korean armed thugs are manipulating groundless results, openly talking about ‘implementation of reasonable and appropriate measures,’ and creating ‘justifiable grounds’ for political and military provocations against us.”

He asked, "Can't we just sit back and watch the shameful behavior of someone stepping on and detonating a landmine whose source they don't know about and then blindly suspecting someone and saying it's a clear violation of the armistice agreement?"

Regarding the argument from opposition parties such as the People's Power Party that the operation of loudspeakers against North Korea should be resumed, Director Kim objected, saying, "The behavior of Koreans who place responsibility for the incident on others first and try to fabricate 'material evidence' to prove it is the height of absurdity and language nonsense."

He said that the fortification work around the border is "just a thorough exercise of sovereignty that has nothing to do with any military purpose," and argued that the South Korean military, on the contrary, is claiming that the North Korean military is crossing the border and is threatening people's safety with warning broadcasts and shooting.

He continued, “This is an intentional and planned unreasonable claim to try to shift responsibility for the escalation of the political situation onto us,” and emphasized, “Our soldiers have never once crossed the border.”

Director Kim said, “We will have to be prepared for a lot when even a single bullet lands on our land,” and threatened, “If Korean military thugs fire actual fire rather than warning shots at our soldiers, our border troops will immediately and mercilessly retaliate.”

In addition, he said, "Guidelines for response actions have been delivered to the border defense units," and announced that they had decided to take measures to strengthen tactical counterattacks in the direction of the demilitarized zone of the 21st Infantry Division of the 3rd Corps of the Korean Army.

At the same time, he warned, “The dramatic climax of Seoul’s self-made farce will never be fun,” and “all responsibility for the consequences will fall solely on those who planned the provocation.”

Director Kim's statement was not published in domestic media such as Rodong Sinmun or Korean Central Broadcasting that North Korean residents can access.

Previously, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 28th the results of an interim investigation that it was highly likely that a North Korean landmine was the cause of the explosion that occurred in the DMZ on the 21st, and announced that it would take 'corresponding measures' if it is finally determined that it was a North Korean landmine.