South Korea warns of ‘firm’ response to further provocations from North

Seoul's military has declared it will respond firmly to any additional North Korean provocations, rejecting Pyongyang's accusation that South Korean forces caused a recent blast in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three soldiers. North Korea has disputed claims it was responsible for the explosion, which occurred inside the DMZ, a heavily mined buffer area that divides the two nations since the 1953 armistice.

A joint investigation conducted by Seoul and the United Nations Command concluded that the blast was caused by North Korean mines placed on the South Korean side of the border. However, Pyongyang has refused to apologize and has accused Seoul of making baseless accusations of provocation. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman stated that the claims of South Korean provocations are unacceptable and that the military is prepared to respond with firm resolve if North Korea continues to carry out further provocations, using the South Korean military's legitimate actions as a pretext.