As The Guardian reported, Kang Hyun-woo, director of operations at South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, demanded an apology and “responsible measures” from Pyongyang after the incident. He also called for an immediate halt to mine-laying and border fortification and said that North Korea bears “full responsibility” for any further developments.
The US-led UN Command, which monitors compliance with the 1953 armistice, said that a joint investigation with South Korean forces found a live North Korean anti-personnel mine south of the military demarcation line, the de facto border between the two Koreas. According to it, this was a violation of the armistice, and the matter is being handled through the “established armistice mechanisms”.
The explosions occurred about 10 meters south of the military demarcation line in the western sector of the border, when soldiers were sweeping an area where Seoul believed North Korea may have planted mines. Two blasts went off about a minute apart: the battalion commander was seriously injured, reportedly losing a foot at the ankle, as was an engineer. A third officer sustained minor injuries.
In Pyongyang, involvement is denied: in a statement carried by state media, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, called the incident an “obvious staged act” and warned of an “immediate and merciless response” if South Korean troops fire directly at North Korean soldiers. The incident has also intensified domestic disputes in South Korea: the opposition asked whether the publication of the findings was delayed so as not to overshadow President Lee Jae-myung’s speech at the UN General Assembly, while the conservative People Power Party demanded the return of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts, which were switched off and dismantled under Lee last year.
The issue also complicates Lee’s attempts to resume dialogue with North Korea. Last week he told the UN that South Korea would be a “pacesetter” for peace and urged the US to ease sanctions in exchange for freezing North Korea’s weapons programs. The incident recalls the 2015 blast in the demilitarized zone, when two South Korean soldiers were seriously injured: South Korea then resumed loudspeaker broadcasts, the North responded with artillery fire across the border, and later expressed regret at high-level talks.
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