South Korea demands apology from Pyongyang for landmine blasts that injured three

South Korea has demanded an apology from North Korea following landmine blasts that injured three of their soldiers in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) on September 21. The South Korean military is certain the explosions, occurring on their side of the DMZ, were caused by North Korean mines. They vowed to take "corresponding measures" in response to what they see as a violation of the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War.

North Korea has denied responsibility, calling Seoul's claims "groundless" and accusing South Korea of making the allegations for "political and military provocation." Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, said the charges were a "deliberate and planned strained assertion" aimed at shifting blame for escalating tensions to North Korea.

The mines are believed to have been laid by Pyongyang to reinforce their border. South Korea has called on North Korea to apologize and halt such fortification activities along the border. Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul previously stated the blasts were a "clear" violation of the armistice.

Tensions between the two Koreas have been high since 2015, when two South Korean soldiers were injured by landmines in the DMZ. North Korea denied planting the mines in that incident, accusing South Korea of using it as a pretext to escalate tensions. The United Nations Command, conducting investigations with South Korean military, said it would handle the violation through established armistice mechanisms, committed to maintaining stability and preventing escalation on the Korean Peninsula.