North Korea Denies Planting Mines, Accuses South of Conspiracy

North Korea on Wednesday denied planting land mines that injured three South Korean soldiers last week and accused Seoul of fabricating evidence, according to state media.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called the South Korean military's assessment a "conspiratorial farce" and warned of retaliation if South Korean troops fire on North Korean soldiers fortifying the border.

The incident occurred on Sept. 21 near the military demarcation line within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a heavily fortified buffer zone separating the two Koreas. Three South Korean soldiers were injured by two explosions.

South Korea's military announced Monday a preliminary finding that North Korean mines caused the blasts, based on a joint inspection with the U.S.-led United Nations Command. A follow-up inspection on Tuesday discovered another North Korean mine, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported. The U.N. Command stated that North Korea violated the 1950-53 Korean War armistice agreement by committing a hostile act within the DMZ.

South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said the South would consider "corresponding measures" if a full investigation confirms North Korea's responsibility. The Joint Chiefs of Staff urged North Korea to apologize and take preventive actions.

Kim Yo Jong, considered a key figure in Pyongyang, insisted that North Korean soldiers have not crossed the border and criticized South Korea for broadcasting warnings and firing warning shots at North Korean troops engaged in fortification work. "If the (South Korean) military gangsters fire at our soldiers carrying on the permanent project for the southern border, not warning shots, our border units will take immediate and merciless retaliatory action," she stated.

The explosions occurred about 10 meters south of the military demarcation line. The patrol route was being established in an area where South Korea had detected "terrain changes" possibly caused by North Korean minelaying.

North Korea has significantly increased its front-line fortifications in recent years, including mines and anti-tank barriers, raising concerns in South Korea about the military buildup near the border. The DMZ remains one of the world's most heavily fortified borders, with an estimated 2 million land mines, barbed-wire fences, and combat troops on both sides.

This incident echoes a similar event in August 2015, when land mine blasts injured two South Korean soldiers, sharply raising tensions and leading to an exchange of threats and weapons demonstrations before diplomatic talks eased the situation. North Korea expressed regret for the injuries at that time but never clearly accepted responsibility.