South Korea has demanded an apology from North Korea over a landmine blast that injured three soldiers, saying they were hurt by North Korean mines on the southern side of the border. Kang Hyun-woo, the director of operations at South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff, demanded an apology and “responsible measures” from Pyongyang over the blast, which occurred on 21 September during a search operation south of the border. He also called for an immediate halt to North Korea’s mine-laying and border fortification, which he said violated the armistice and the spirit of inter-Korean agreements.
North Korea would bear “all responsibility” for any future developments, he said. The incident echoes a 2015 mine blast in the demilitarised zone between the countries that seriously injured two South Korean soldiers and prompted Seoul to resume propaganda broadcasts over loudspeakers. North Korea responded to the move with artillery fire across the border before expressing regret during high-level talks.
The US-led UN command (UNC), which oversees the 1953 armistice that halted but did not end the Korean war, said on Wednesday that a joint investigation with South Korea’s military had identified a live North Korean anti-personnel mine on the southern side of the military demarcation line (MDL), the de facto border. The UNC said an armistice violation had occurred and that it was addressing the issue through “established armistice mechanisms”. The explosions occurred about 10 metres south of the MDL on the western front, as troops searched an area where North Korea was suspected of laying mines.
Two blasts went off about a minute apart, seriously injuring a battalion commander, whose foot was reportedly severed at the ankle, and an engineer. A third officer was present and has minor injuries from the explosion. On Monday, South Korea’s military said interim findings showed the blasts were “highly likely” to have been caused by North Korean mines North Korea has denied involvement.
In a statement carried by state media on Wednesday, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong-un, called the incident “an obvious self-staged farce”. Chris Green, a senior consultant at the International Crisis Group, said the investigation findings would not settle the matter politically because the North would always have “guaranteed plausible deniability”. There are no working communication channels between the two Koreas.
Pyongyang severed ties in 2024, declared South Korea a hostile state and has since laid mines and built fortifications along the border. The blast presents a challenge for South Korea’s president, Lee Jae Myung, who has sought to revive diplomacy with Pyongyang. Last week, he told the UN general assembly that Seoul would be a “pacemaker” for peace, and urged Washington to ease sanctions in exchange for a freeze on North Korea’s weapons programmes.
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