Seoul has determined that North Korea planted landmines that injured three South Korean soldiers along the heavily fortified border last month, and is calling on Pyongyang to issue an apology and remove additional explosives, according to the South’s military on Monday.
The announcement marks a definitive finding from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, following preliminary assessments that indicated a “very high possibility” North-buried mines were responsible for the Sept. 21 explosions. The conclusion was reached through a joint investigation with the American-led U.N. Command, forensic analysis of TNT residues, and the discovery of another mine planted by the North days after the incident.
Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae-won, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the situation during a televised briefing. “Our military strongly urges North Korea to offer a sincere apology to our injured soldiers and immediately remove the mines that it installed in violation of an armistice agreement,” he stated.
North Korea had previously denied involvement and threatened “merciless” retaliation if provoked regarding the case. The armistice agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War prohibits hostile acts within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and bans unauthorized crossings of the military demarcation line.
Despite its name, the DMZ remains one of the most militarized borders globally, with estimates suggesting up to 2 million mines are scattered throughout and around the zone. In recent years, North Korea has fortified the area further with anti-tank barriers and additional mining.
General Kwon confirmed that South Korean forces removed a North Korean minefield surrounding the blast site on Monday. He warned that other North Korean minefields located south of the border would be removed unless Pyongyang voluntarily eliminates them.
While South Korea’s military had previously indicated it would take unspecified countermeasures if North Korea was held responsible, no immediate punitive steps were announced on Monday.
The incident occurs during a sensitive period for inter-Korean relations. The liberal government in Seoul is currently attempting to coordinate talks between North Korea and the United States, hoping to leverage that process to restart its own dialogue with the North and promote peace on the peninsula.
Tensions previously rose to the brink of armed conflict in 2015 after similar mine blasts blamed on the North. Meanwhile, North Korea has rejected all dialogue with Seoul and Washington since its leader Kim Jong Un’s nuclear diplomacy with then-U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019.
Three soldiers injured is unacceptable. Hope Seoul follows through on clearing those fields.
No surprise given the previous denials. Pyongyang will likely ignore this entirely.
Why are we still dealing with this in 2024? The armistice failed long ago.
This is deeply alarming. Landmines in the DMZ should have been cleared decades ago.