Unification minister cuts short Europe trip on DMZ blast

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young has abruptly terminated his European tour following an investigation implicating North Korea in last week's land mine explosion within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Originally set to journey to Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Germany from Monday until October 5, Chung's itinerary has been altered to address the incident, according to the Ministry of Unification.

He has abandoned his scheduled visits to Ireland and Germany, returning to South Korea on Wednesday to manage the DMZ mine blast. Earlier, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) indicated it was highly probable that North Korea had planted the mine responsible for the Sept. 21 explosion, which wounded three South Korean soldiers.

The U.N. Command overseeing the border region also classified the mine blast as a breach of the Armistice Agreement that concluded the 1950-53 Korean War. Despite this, North Korea maintains its denial of involvement in the Sept. 21 mine explosion.