South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul visited soldiers wounded in an explosion in the Demilitarized Zone, KBS 뉴스 reported on Wednesday. During the visit, Kang described the troops as true heroes and said the government would stand behind them to the end, according to KBS 뉴스.
One account of the incident, cited by v.daum.net, says a soldier was seriously hurt while trying to rescue a fellow service member.
The blast has drawn political attention beyond the military. The main opposition People Power Party said there are signs the incident was downplayed or covered up, and it called for investigation results to be released without delay, KBS 뉴스 reported.
The conservative daily Munhwa Ilbo reported remarks by PPP leader Jang Dong-hyuk, who said President Lee would be hoping the device was not a North Korean landmine, while noting the political fallout would be hard to avoid.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also wished the injured soldiers a full recovery and said the cause of the accident must be thoroughly examined, according to SBS.
Details released so far remain limited, and no full account of how the explosion occurred has been made public.
What to watch next: whether the military releases the findings of its investigation into the cause of the blast and the condition of the wounded soldiers.
