UNC deputy commander notes need for 'careful, transparent' approach following DMZ mine blast

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- The deputy commander of the U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) has stressed the need for a "careful and transparent" planning and communications in addressing incidents along the inter-Korean border, following last month's land mine blast that injured South Korean soldiers.

Lt. Gen. Scott Winter made the remarks on a podcast Wednesday (London time), as tensions have heightened since the Sept. 21 mine blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas injured three South Korean troops, with two of them severely.

Seoul and Pyongyang have since been locked in a fiery tit-for-tat exchange of barbs, with the South blaming the North for the incident in violation of the Armistice Agreement governing the fortified border, while the North has accused Seoul of fabricating its investigation to pin the blame on the regime.

"My response from a United Nations Command perspective is to double down on the importance of us being careful and transparent and robust in our planning and transparent in our communications to avoid any incident occurring in the first place," Winter said on the podcast, which was hosted by the London-based Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies.

"But where it does occur, (we ensure) that there isn't an escalation or something (that) is seen as a provocation," he said.

The UNC is responsible for administering and maintaining the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), and the DMZ buffer zone that sits 2 kilometers north and south of the border line.

The blast occurred during an operation to clear a path for a UNC investigation into the North's border-hardening activities, such as erecting fences and laying mines, in potential violation of the armistice.

While Seoul has concluded Pyongyang was behind the explosion, the UNC has only determined that an antipersonnel mine discovered on the southern side of the MDL after the explosion constitutes an armistice violation.

Critics in Seoul have questioned the UNC's response, voicing concern over what they view as a passive stance.

Speaking on the podcast, Winter declined to provide details on the UNC's joint investigation with Seoul into the blast, noting that the inquiry remains under way.

He neither elaborated on whether the UNC has specifically contacted Pyongyang regarding the land mine blast nor its potential armistice violation, only stating that the command speaks to the North Korean military "twice a day" through their communication channel.

"We talk through these, we report these incidents with them straight away," he said. "Should they end up being violations, we communicate that in the firmest possible manner."

"(The blast) shows ... the need for transparency, hence the importance of our communication with the KPA through the lines of communication that we keep open," Winter noted, referring to the North's Korean People's Army.

Under the Armistice Agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War, the UNC also has an investigative authority over cross-border incidents, such as unauthorized border crossings and land mine activities, which serves to prevent hostilities on the Korean Peninsula.

elly@yna.co.kr
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