South Korea Demands Apology from North Korea Over Border Landmine Blasts
Seoul states Pyongyang is 'highly likely' responsible for explosions that injured three soldiers in the Demilitarised Zone.
South Korea's military has demanded an apology from North Korea following landmine explosions along their shared border that injured three South Korean personnel earlier this month.
The blasts occurred on September 21 within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), a buffer zone separating the two Koreas. South Korea announced Tuesday that the explosions, which took place on the South Korean side of the DMZ, were "highly likely" caused by North Korean mines. Seoul stated that it would take "corresponding measures" for what it described as a violation of the decades-old armistice agreement.
North Korea has denied responsibility, characterizing Seoul's claims as "groundless" and a "farce" intended to escalate tensions on the peninsula. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accused South Korea of fabricating the claims for "political and military provocation." She denied that North Korean forces had crossed the border to plant the mines, calling the assertion a deliberate attempt to shift blame for rising tensions.
In a statement published Wednesday, Kim warned South Korea to be "prepared for paying price for the farce of their own making." South Korea maintains that the mines were likely planted by Pyongyang to fortify its border and called for an immediate halt to such fortification activities.
South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul previously stated Tuesday that the blasts constituted a "clear" violation of the 1953 armistice, which ended active combat in the Korean War. The armistice led to the creation of the 4km-wide DMZ, which contains the Military Demarcation Line, the land border between the two nations.
Sporadic clashes and mine explosions have occurred in the DMZ since the armistice. In 2015, two South Korean soldiers were injured by landmines during a patrol, with South Korea alleging North Korean soldiers had secretly planted them. Pyongyang denied these claims at the time. Kim referenced the 2015 incident in her statement, suggesting South Korea used it as a "pretext" to escalate tensions, and is doing so again.
The United Nations Command, which investigated the blasts alongside the South Korean military, stated it would address the armistice violation "through established Armistice mechanisms." The UNC affirmed its commitment to upholding the Armistice Agreement and maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula.