Jang Dong-hyeok is a South Korean politician and a member of the National Assembly. In September 2026 he was chair of the People Power Party, the main opposition party.
Case
Seoul's military says North Korean mines likely caused two September 21 DMZ blasts that wounded three soldiers. North Korea calls the findings groundless. The UN Command said it identified an active North Korean mine south of the line but named no side.
Role at the time: Chair of the People Power Party, the main opposition party, at a press conference
Statement summary
At a press conference on September 23, 2026, two days after the blasts and before the Joint Chiefs or the UN Command had reported findings, People Power Party chair Jang Dong-hyeok said the explosion was "not merely an accident but a clear provocation by North Korea." The Korea Herald reported that he suspected North Korean-made wooden-box mines could be behind it and that he said the investigation into whether the mines came from North Korea and whether they had drifted or been deliberately planted would not take long.
“This was not merely an accident but a clear provocation by North Korea, so our response must therefore be meant to address provocation, not an accident.”
The case asks whether North Korean forces planted the mines. Jang said the explosion was "a clear provocation by North Korea," which attributes it to North Korea and criticizes it, so we labeled it Condemned. He said this before any investigation result, at a time when the Korea Herald described North Korean wooden-box mines as his suspicion.
Statement dates: September 23, 2026
Statement dates: September 23, 2026
Statement dates: September 23, 2026
