[Edaily Reporter kim kwanyong ] The South Korean military officially determined that the landmine explosion that occurred on the 21st in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the western front was caused by a North Korean landmine and demanded that North Korea apologize and take responsible measures. It also urged an immediate halt to North Korea’s so-called “border fortification” work being carried out in the vicinity of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), stating that it violates the Armistice Agreement.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced on the 30th in a statement issued by Director of Operations Kang Hyun-woo, “On September 21, an incident occurred in which our soldiers, who were conducting routine search operations south of the Military Demarcation Line, sustained serious injuries caused by a North Korean landmine.”

The Joint Chiefs of Staff’s specification of “North Korean landmines” as the cause of this incident follows a joint on-site investigation by the South Korean military and the United Nations Command, which confirmed the presence of anti-personnel landmines used by North Korean forces.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff pointed out that, despite our government’s efforts toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea “has continued to pursue so-called ‘border fortification,’ such as laying landmines near the Military Demarcation Line,” adding that “this is causing tensions to escalate in the inter-Korean border areas.”

It further emphasized that such actions by North Korea “constitute a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and undermine the spirit of existing inter-Korean agreements, and must be stopped immediately.”

In particular, the Joint Chiefs of Staff directly demanded an apology from North Korea. The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, “North Korea must immediately cease activities that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula, such as the so-called ‘fortification of the border,’” and added, “We strongly urge North Korea to offer an apology and take responsible measures.” They also warned, “We make it clear that North Korea bears full responsibility for any situations that may arise in the future.”

This statement represents a more forceful message directed at North Korea compared to the investigation results announced by the military the previous day. When announcing the interim investigation results on the 28th, the Joint Chiefs of Staff assessed that it was “highly likely” that a North Korean landmine was the cause of the explosion. Subsequently, during a joint on-site investigation on the 29th, the military and the United Nations Command actually discovered one resin-based anti-personnel landmine used by North Korean forces near the explosion site south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).

This mine was assessed to be separate from the one that the soldiers stated they had seen while withdrawing at the time of the incident. Accordingly, the military reports that there were at least four mines in the vicinity of the incident, including the two mines presumed to have exploded at the time of the incident, the one unexploded mine witnessed by the soldiers, and the additional mine discovered at the scene.

The United Nations Command (UNC) also officially confirmed that this incident constitutes a violation of the Armistice Agreement. The UNC stated that during a joint on-site investigation conducted with the South Korean military, it discovered an operational North Korean antipersonnel mine in South Korean territory south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), adding, “Based on the investigation results, we have determined that a violation of the Armistice Agreement has occurred.” It further explained that it is handling the violation in accordance with the established Armistice Agreement framework.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul also stated the previous day before the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee, “The violation of the Armistice Agreement is clear,” adding, “Since North Korea is responsible, we will take corresponding measures.”

The incident on the 21st occurred while soldiers from the Army’s 25th Division were conducting a route-clearing operation in the DMZ on the western front. Two officers—including the search battalion commander and an engineer—suffered serious injuries in two separate explosions, and another officer sustained minor injuries. The military and the United Nations Command plan to continue verifying the specific timing and circumstances of the mine’s placement through further investigation and evidence analysis.