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South Korea's military confirmed that North Korea likely planted the land mines that injured three South Korean military officers near the Demilitarized Zone in a recent operation.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the preliminary finding after inspecting the site with the U.S.-led United Nations Command. The finding could further inflame tensions between the rivals.
The explosions occurred Sept. 21 near the military demarcation line (MDL) in the western section of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a heavily fortified border buffer zone between the Koreas, during an operation to establish a patrol route through an area rarely visited for decades. Kwon Dae-won, vice chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said there was a very high possibility that North Korean mines caused the explosions, which occurred about 10 metres south from the military demarcation line.
He said there was no record of South Korean or allied forces laying mines in the densely vegetated area. Blast marks, debris and what appeared to be a third suspected North Korean mine at the scene also pointed to the North, he said. If the final investigation reaches the same conclusion, Kwon said: We will hold North Korea fully responsible for this. Our military will take appropriate and corresponding measures.
He did not elaborate. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said forensic analysis detected TNT and unidentified brown substances on a bulletproof helmet, protective vests and rifles belonging to soldiers involved in the operation. The absence of metal fragments or shrapnel indicated that South Korean or allied mines did not cause the explosions, it said.
The blasts occurred after the battalion commander leading the 18-member team decided to end the mission and withdraw because the unit was too close to the demarcation line, the Joint Chiefs said. The first explosion occurred as a soldier stepped forward while the team prepared to withdraw. Patrol Route and Previous Mine Blasts A second followed shortly afterward as the commander and an intelligence officer approached the wounded soldier.
Soldiers Sighted Third Suspected Mine
Some soldiers said they saw what appeared to be a third North Korean mine as they withdrew to a safe area, from which the troops were airlifted for treatment and medical examinations. South Korean officials initially said the blasts appeared to have been caused by mines but did not attribute them to North Korea.
The route was intended to allow future inspections with the UN Command after South Korea detected terrain changes last year that may have resulted from North Korean mine-laying. North Korea has denied responsibility for numerous previous incidents blamed on it by Seoul and described the allegations as plots to stir anti-Pyongyang sentiment.
The latest incident came more than a decade after South Korea blamed the North for land mine explosions that maimed two South Korean soldiers and sharply raised tensions between the countries in August 2015. After the 2015 mine explosions, the Koreas traded threats, staged weapons demonstrations and resumed border propaganda broadcasts. Days of talks eventually pulled them back from the brink. North Korea issued a vague expression of regret over the soldiers' injuries without clearly accepting responsibility.
DMZ Heavily Fortified With Millions of Mines
Heavily Fortified DMZ Border Region The DMZ, which is 248 kilometres long and four kilometres wide, is one of the world's most heavily fortified borders. An estimated 2 million mines are buried in and around the zone, which is also guarded by barbed-wire fences, tank traps and combat troops on both sides. The zone is a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
In recent months, North Korea has added mines, anti-tank barriers and other front-line fortifications. The activity has fuelled concern in South Korea about the growing presence of North Korean soldiers near the DMZ. South Korea fired warning shots in April 2025 after a group of North Korean soldiers crossed the demarcation line in the eastern section of the DMZ. The soldiers retreated after South Korea broadcast audio warnings and fired the shots, and there was no exchange of fire.
North Korea Border Crossings Prompt Warning Shots
In June 2024, North Korean troops crossed the border three times, prompting South Korea to fire warning shots.
CP24 
CTVNews:South Korea says border blasts that injured 3 officers were likely caused by North Korean mines 
CTVToronto:South Korea says border blasts that injured 3 officers were likely caused by North Korean minesThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
North Korea Demilitarized Zone Land Mine Explosions South Korea Military Korean Peninsula Tensions South Korea DMZ Land Mines Border Tension
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