Cheong Wa Dae denies military inspection of mine blast site connected to Lee's UN remarks

Cheong Wa Dae denied on Tuesday that the military's inspection of a mine blast site was related to President Lee Jae Myung's remarks on sanctions relief for North Korea prior to the recent U.N. General Assembly. The main opposition People Power Party alleged that the government delayed the inspection due to concerns that Lee's call for sanctions relief might be undermined if North Korea was found responsible for the mine blast that injured three South Korean soldiers near the Demilitarized Zone last week.

The military announced on Monday that preliminary findings pointed to the explosion being most likely caused by illegally planted North Korean mines. According to a presidential official, the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.N. Command decided on the timing of the inspection solely based on a military assessment, taking into account input from field commanders.

The inspection of the mine accident has absolutely nothing to do with the president's U.N. speech, which Lee delivered in an interview with The New York Times.