South Korea Demands Apology from North Over Landmine Blasts
South Korea has called on North Korea to apologize after three soldiers were wounded by landmine blasts on 21 September along the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).
The explosions took place on the South’s side of the DMZ, a 4‑kilometre‑wide buffer that has been the site of sporadic clashes for decades. Seoul says the mines were likely laid by Pyongyang to fortify its border, a claim North Korea has rejected as a "groundless farce" aimed at escalating tensions.
Kim Yo‑Jong, the senior sister of Kim Jong‑Un, accused Seoul of "cooking up" the incident for "political and military provocation" and warned that the South would "pay the price" for its own "farce."
The United Nations Command, which has overseen investigations into the blasts, said it would address the alleged violation of the 1953 armistice through established mechanisms. Seoul’s Defence Minister Kang Shin‑chul described the incident as a "clear" breach, urging an immediate stop to such fortification activity.
The DMZ has a history of mine‑related casualties; notably, in 2015 two South Korean soldiers were wounded by mines that Seoul claimed were planted by North Korean forces—claims Pyongyang again denied. The current exchange marks a fresh flare‑up in a long‑standing impasse that continues to threaten stability on the peninsula.
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