South Korea Demands North Korean Apology Over DMZ Landmine Blasts

South Korea’s military has called on North Korea to apologise after landmine explosions along the countries’ heavily fortified border injured three South Korean personnel earlier this month.

The explosions occurred on 21 September inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), the buffer area separating the two Koreas. South Korean authorities said the blasts took place on their side of the zone.

Following an investigation, South Korea said on Tuesday that the mines were highly likely to have been planted by North Korea. Seoul described the incident as a potential breach of the 1953 armistice agreement and said it would take appropriate measures in response.

North Korea has rejected the accusation, describing Seoul’s claims as baseless and accusing the South of deliberately using the incident to heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed the allegations in a statement carried by North Korean state media on Wednesday.

She accused South Korea of manufacturing the claims as part of what she described as a political and military provocation. Kim also rejected suggestions that North Korean personnel had crossed the border to lay the mines.

According to Kim, the allegation was an attempt to shift responsibility for rising tensions onto Pyongyang. She further warned South Korea that it should be prepared to face consequences for what she called a fabricated incident.

South Korean authorities maintain that the mines were likely planted as part of North Korea’s efforts to strengthen its border defences. On Wednesday, Seoul called on Pyongyang to issue an apology and immediately halt further fortification activities in the border area.

South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul had earlier described the explosions as a clear violation of the 1953 armistice, the agreement that brought active fighting during the Korean War to an end.

The armistice established the 4km-wide DMZ, which runs across the Korean Peninsula and contains the Military Demarcation Line separating North and South Korea.

Despite the ceasefire, the area has remained a highly sensitive military zone, with occasional armed confrontations and landmine incidents reported over the years.

A similar incident occurred in 2015, when two South Korean soldiers were seriously injured by landmines while conducting a patrol inside the DMZ. Seoul at the time accused North Korean soldiers of secretly placing the mines near a South Korean guard post, but Pyongyang denied involvement.

Kim Yo Jong referred to the 2015 incident in her latest statement, accusing South Korea of using it as a justification for increasing military tensions and suggesting that Seoul was employing a similar strategy again.

The United Nations Command, which worked with South Korean forces to investigate the latest explosions, said any alleged breach of the 1953 armistice would be addressed through established mechanisms under the agreement.

The command said it remained committed to enforcing the armistice and carrying out its responsibilities to maintain stability and prevent further escalation on the Korean Peninsula.

Source: BBC