South Korea Demands Apology After DMZ Mine Blast Injures Three Soldiers

South Korea has formally demanded an apology from North Korea following landmine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) earlier this month that resulted in injuries to three South Korean soldiers. The blasts occurred on September 21 near the military demarcation line in the western sector of the heavily fortified border.

Kang Hyunwoo, director of operations at the South Korean joint chiefs of staff, stated that Seoul “strongly urges” Pyongyang to apologize and take “responsible measures” to prevent future incidents. He described the event as a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement that undermines existing inter-Korean accords, calling for the immediate cessation of such actions.

South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul indicated that the government is considering unspecified “corresponding measures” should a thorough investigation confirm North Korean responsibility for the mines.

The United Nations Command (UNC), a US-led multinational force tasked with overseeing the armistice that ended the Korean War, corroborated South Korea’s assessment. In a joint investigation with the South Korean military, the UNC identified an active North Korean anti-personnel mine on the Republic of Korea side of the Military Demarcation Line. The UNC determined that this discovery constituted a violation of the Armistice Agreement.

North Korean officials have vehemently denied responsibility. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed South Korea’s conclusions as a “conspiratorial farce.” She accused Seoul of fabricating grounds for provocation against Pyongyang and criticized South Korean troops for broadcasting warnings and firing warning shots at North Korean soldiers conducting fortification work along the border.

Kim insisted that North Korean forces have not crossed the border. She further warned that if South Korean “military gangsters” fire at their soldiers engaged in permanent border projects, border units will respond with “immediate and merciless retaliatory action.”