South Korea’s defence minister said mines found near last week’s explosion in the DMZ were planted by North Korea, citing the position of one recovered mine and other evidence. The blast injured South Korean soldiers. Seoul calls the planting an armistice violation and says it will respond, while the finding remains the South Korean military’s assessment rather than an independent determination of responsibility.
South Korean Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul told parliament on Tuesday that mines planted by North Korea were behind last week’s explosion in the Demilitarized Zone, the guarded strip between the two Koreas. The blast occurred during work to clear a path for an inspection near the Military Demarcation Line. Kang said a mine found at the site was buried, rather than washed there, and called the planting a violation of the Korean War armistice.[1], [2]
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said another North Korean-made plastic antipersonnel mine was found near the explosion site during the continuing inquiry with United Nations Command. Kang said several mines appeared to have been placed close together, making accidental movement by water unlikely in his view. Seoul had described North Korean responsibility more cautiously the day before; Tuesday’s testimony was a firmer official attribution. The mine’s exact placement history has not been independently established in public.[1], [2]
Kang said South Korea would take corresponding measures if the mines were confirmed as a breach of the armistice, but he did not describe the measures. The explosion injured South Korean personnel; published accounts differ on the number, so a final casualty figure cannot be fixed from them. North Korea has not publicly answered the accusation, and United Nations Command has not issued a final public finding. The news is Seoul’s new attribution of an earlier blast, not a second explosion.[1], [2]
