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President Lee Jae-myung delivers congratulatory remarks at a luncheon celebrating the 78th Armed Forces Day held at Gyeryongdae in South Chungcheong Province on the 1st. / Yonhap

President Lee Jae-myung offered consolations on the 1st to soldiers injured in a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), while reaffirming his commitment to easing inter-Korean military tensions and restoring dialogue. Even as the United Nations Command determined North Korea's planting of landmines south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) to be an armistice violation and North Korea pushed back, the president made clear his intent to uphold the stance of peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

In an address marking the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony held at Gyeryongdae in South Chungcheong Province, President Lee mentioned the soldiers injured in the DMZ incident, remarking, "We are reminded once again that the ordinary days we enjoy are built upon the risks borne by someone else." However, without mentioning North Korea directly, he referred to the mine blast as "an unexpected accident in the Demilitarized Zone."

The message toward North Korea focused on easing tensions and restoring trust. President Lee emphasized that "the surest security lies in creating peace—a state where there is no need to fight," adding, "We must build trust by seeking a path where both South and North emerge victorious together."

President Lee went on to say, "Our administration will consistently pursue substantive steps to lower military tensions between the South and the North," stressing, "We look forward to and urge [the North] to join us now on the path to restoring trust and reviving severed dialogue." His remarks are interpreted as a commitment to maintaining the policy direction of tension reduction and dialogue restoration despite the landmine incident and North Korea's backlash.

                                                                                                        Park Young-hoon