Seoul says North Korean mines 'highly suspected' as cause of DMZ blast

SEOUL (Sep 28) - South Korea's military suggests North Korean landmines were responsible for a recent blast that injured three officers within the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), according to preliminary findings from a joint investigation with the United Nations Command. The DMZ, a 248km long and roughly 4km wide buffer zone, serves as a heavily fortified frontier between North and South Korea, despite being officially demilitarised.

No peace treaty has been signed, and the two nations remain in a state of war. The explosion occurred about 10 meters south of the Military Demarcation Line, close to an area where changes in terrain were noted and where North Korean forces had reportedly recently planted mines. The blast, which involved two exploded mines and one unexploded mine, resulted in severe injuries for the three service members, including the loss of a foot by one officer.

While South Korean landmines have a larger blast radius, the blast radius of the North Korean mines was comparatively small. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that once the investigation concludes, necessary measures, including military action, would be considered. South Korea and the UN Command have been inspecting the area since the incident, with a history of landmine-related tensions between the nations dating back to 2015, when two South Korean soldiers were injured by a landmine explosion on the southern side of the DMZ.