South Korea has held North Korea responsible for a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that left three South Korean soldiers injured, saying the incident breached the armistice agreement that brought an end to the Korean War.
Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul told a parliamentary defence committee on Tuesday that an investigation had identified the mines as North Korean. He said they were believed to have been laid as part of Pyongyang’s efforts to reinforce its military positions around the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
Two soldiers suffered serious injuries, while a third sustained minor injuries in the September 21 explosion, which took place south of the MDL within the DMZ.
Kang said North Korea was responsible for the incident and confirmed that Seoul would take appropriate action, but did not disclose what measures were under consideration.
“The responsibility rests with North Korea, so we will take appropriate measures,” Kang said, noting that the military had several response options that would be implemented gradually.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said a joint investigation with the United Nations Command had found another North Korean resin anti-personnel mine close to the explosion site.
Officials said the additional mine differed from those suspected of causing the September 21 blast. They also said investigators had found no evidence that the mines had been carried into the area by natural movement.
JCS Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-won said the United Nations Command had confirmed that the newly discovered mines were located south of the Military Demarcation Line. The findings, according to the military, further supported its assessment that North Korean mines were responsible for the blast.
The explosion occurred while South Korean troops were preparing a route for a joint inspection with the United Nations Command into suspected North Korean mine-laying activities along the border. The military had previously detected changes in the terrain that raised concerns over possible mine placements near the MDL.
Kang described the incident as a clear breach of the armistice agreement, saying Seoul would take appropriate action if North Korea’s responsibility was established.
The development comes amid already strained relations between the two Koreas, despite South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to reopen dialogue with Pyongyang.
Tensions have increased since North Korea formally designated South Korea as an enemy state and moved away from its earlier policy of seeking peaceful reunification.
A comparable mine explosion in 2015 injured South Korean soldiers and led Seoul to restart loudspeaker broadcasts directed at North Korea along the DMZ. The measure contributed to a military confrontation that was later eased following a high-level agreement between the two countries.
North Korean state media has yet to issue a response to the latest explosion. Requests for comment sent to North Korea’s mission to the United Nations and its embassies in Beijing and Singapore had not received responses at the time of reporting.
Goodness Anunobi
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