An image of a soldier wounded by a landmine explosion has gone up in central Seoul — a warning from the private sector that debate over troop safety and preventing a repeat has gone missing while politicians focus on trading blame.
The Jeski Advertising Institute said on the 12th that it ran a guerrilla campaign on the 10th and 11th in the military border areas of Gimpo and Paju and around Yongsan Park, near the Ministry of National Defense, criticizing the political response following the landmine incident.
The advertisement shows a reconnaissance soldier wounded in one leg, balancing precariously on the other. It was developed with former career military officers who share the view that a clear chain of command is needed.
Lee Je-seok, the institute's head, said the campaign "started from a sense of unease about a reality in which a soldier was gravely wounded by an external military threat, yet at home only blame-trading and partisan conflict have intensified."
"The 'one leg' carries two meanings — the body of a soldier hurt by a landmine blast, and a security reality that cannot move forward in balance because of political confrontation," he said.
The campaign has also drawn criticism over how it conveys its message, with some saying it treats landmine injuries, which can be severe, too lightly. Lee said the billboard was "a test sample, and we plan to rework it to highlight the dangers of landmines."