(LEAD) S. Korean military, U.N. Command conduct joint survey on DMZ blast site ahead of probe: JCS

South Korea's military and the United Nations Command (UNC) jointly surveyed the site of a suspected mine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Saturday, ahead of a planned on-site investigation. The incident occurred on Monday, injuring a battalion commander and a staff sergeant from the 25th Infantry Division, a frontline unit near the border.

Speculation suggests the blast may have been caused by an illegally planted North Korean land mine, though the South Korean military faces criticism from opposition lawmakers for allegedly delaying the investigation to match the Lee Jae Myung government's soft stance towards Pyongyang. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) emphasized that they are preparing to conduct the joint probe with the UNC once all personnel involved are deemed safe for revisiting the high-risk site.

Saturday's joint survey involved around 20 personnel from the JCS, the UNC's Military Armistice Commission, and investigative agencies, assessing the operational environment, safety of movement routes, and status of surveillance and communication. The JCS aims to transparently explain the incident's cause and investigation results to the public.

Rep. Han Dong-hoon, leading a protest outside the defense ministry, accused the military of rejecting an earlier UNC proposal to launch the investigation on the day of the blast and moving it up to Sunday, instead of the original Tuesday plan, due to public pressure.