Kang Shin-chul on Korean Peninsula

Public disputes about relations between North Korea and South Korea, the Demilitarized Zone and the 1953 Armistice Agreement, and security on the Korean Peninsula involving the two Korean governments and the United Nations Command.

How we classify topics

Counts show individual statements. They do not assign an overall position.

Statement history

2 statements on this page. Dates: September 22, 2026 to September 29, 2026

2 matching statements. Dates: September 22, 2026 to September 29, 2026

2 published statements. Dates: September 22, 2026 to September 29, 2026

Kang Shin-chul
Role at the time: Minister of National Defense, answering lawmakers at a plenary session of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee
September 29, 2026Condemned
Response to this claim
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on September 28, 2026 that North Korean land mines were highly likely the cause of the two explosions that wounded three South Korean soldiers south of the Military Demarcation Line on September 21, and said on September 30 that South Korean soldiers were seriously injured by North Korean landmines while conducting search operations south of that line.
“It is clearly a violation of the armistice agreement, and the responsibility lies with North Korea, so we will take corresponding measures”
Open source

(LEAD) Defense chief says N. Korean land mine found near DMZ blast site was buried · Yonhap News AgencyParagraphs 1-4 and 9-10 (Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's answers to the National Defense Committee)

Yonhap report of September 29, 2026 on Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's answers to lawmakers at the National Assembly's National Defense Committee about the mine found that day and the cause of the September 21 blasts.

Why we used this label

Kang said the explosion was clearly an armistice violation and that responsibility lies with North Korea, and he answered yes when asked whether he was certain North Korea-planted mines caused it. That accepts the attribution and criticizes the conduct. His pledge of corresponding measures was framed as applying if the cause is confirmed, but his answer on the cause was unqualified, so we labeled it Condemned. His remarks on how long the mine had been underground concern timing, not who planted it.

Read statement Did North Korea plant the antipersonnel mines that injured three South Korean soldiers in the DMZ on September 21, 2026?

Kang Shin-chul

Role at the time: Minister of National Defense, speaking to reporters after his inauguration

September 22, 2026Mixed or conditional

Statement summary

On September 22, 2026, his first day as defense minister, Kang Shin-chul urged North Korea to stop its border fortification and said the explosion the day before could be one of the secondary effects of North Korea's border-hardening. He also said the military had not confirmed whether the suspected minefield, the patrol route and the explosion site matched, and that the investigation must determine that.

“There are secondary effects that stem from North Korea's border-hardening, and this (explosion) could be one of them”

Open sourceNew defense minister urges N. Korea to halt border-hardening following DMZ explosion · The Korea HeraldParagraphs 1-8 (Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul's first press remarks after the blasts)

Korea Herald report of September 22, 2026, the day Kang Shin-chul took office as defense minister, on his first press remarks after the September 21 blasts.

Why we used this label

The case asks whether North Korean forces planted the mines. Kang linked the blast to North Korea's border work only as a possibility and said the military could not yet confirm whether the sites matched. The position depends on what the investigation determines, so we labeled it Mixed or conditional.

Read statement Did North Korea plant the antipersonnel mines that injured three South Korean soldiers in the DMZ on September 21, 2026?