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South Korea Demands Apology Over Mine Blast Injuring Soldiers
Confirmed
In Short: South Korea's military called for an apology from North Korea after a mine blast injured three soldiers in the demilitarized zone.
South Korea's military on Wednesday urged North Korea to immediately halt its 'border fortification' activities and called for an apology and responsible measures over a land mine explosion in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on Sept. 21.
The blast occurred about 10 meters south of the military demarcation line (MDL) on the western front, as troops searched an area where North Korea was suspected of laying mines.
Minister Kang Hyun-woo, the director of operations at South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff, demanded an apology and 'responsible measures' from Pyongyang over the blast.
The US-led UN command (UNC), which oversees the 1953 armistice that halted but did not end the Korean War, said a joint investigation with South Korea’s military had identified a live North Korean anti-personnel mine on the southern side of the MDL.
North Korea has denied involvement in the mine-laying, with Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, calling South Korea's assertion 'too low and dirty as befitting the tribes of the ROK' and claiming North Korean troops had 'not once crossed the border.
The incident echoes a 2015 mine blast in the DMZ that seriously injured two South Korean soldiers and prompted Seoul to resume propaganda broadcasts over loudspeakers.
North Korea responded to the move with artillery fire across the border before expressing regret during high-level talks.
Since 2024, Pyongyang's military has laid mines and built anti-tank barriers along the frontier as part of efforts to permanently seal it off.
The border fortification work has led North Korean soldiers to accidentally cross the land border in the past, according to Seoul's military.
Landmine incidents on the DMZ, one of the world's most heavily fortified frontiers, have previously heightened tensions between the two Koreas.
What this adds
The incident adds to ongoing tensions between the two Koreas, with South Korea demanding an apology and responsible measures from North Korea.
The 2015 DMZ land mine incident is a precedent for how such incidents have been handled in the past, with North Korea initially denying involvement but later expressing regret.
Background
Ukraine's announcement of the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) to South Korea has angered Seoul, leading to demands for an apology and explanation.
What's confirmed
- In today's news, the South demanded the North stop its "border fortification" push after a recent mine blast seriously injured two soldiers in the demilitarized zone.
What's still developing
- North Korea would bear “all responsibility” for any future developments, he said.
- Last week, he told the UN general assembly that Seoul would be a “pacemaker” for peace, and urged Washington to ease sanctions in exchange for a freeze on North Korea’s weapons programmes.
- "Clearly speaking, our soldiers have never crossed the border," she added.
- During the operation, Pyongyang also blew up the northern parts of inter-Korean roads no longer in use.