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

Cheong Wa Dae firmly denied claims that the military's inspection of a mine blast site was influenced by President Lee Jae Myung's remarks on sanctions relief for North Korea prior to the U.N. General Assembly last week. The main opposition People Power Party had accused the government of delaying the inspection due to fears that Lee's call for sanctions relief would be undermined if North Korea were held responsible for the mine blast, which injured three South Korean soldiers near the Demilitarized Zone.

The military announced on Monday that preliminary findings pointed to the explosion being caused by illegally planted North Korean mines. According to a presidential official, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.N. Command decided on the timing of the inspection purely based on a military judgment, considering input from field commanders.

The military's on-site inspection regarding the mine accident has no connection to the president's U.N. speech. Lee had commented in an interview with The New York Times.