North Korea blamed for mine injuries to South Korean soldiers
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s military reported that North Korea planted mines that injured three South Korean soldiers at their heavily fortified border last month, urging the North to apologize and remove other mines, reports BritPanorama.
The announcement followed North Korea’s denial of responsibility for the September 21 blasts and its warning of “merciless” retaliation if provoked over the incident. South Korea had previously indicated a “very high possibility” that the explosions were caused by mines buried by North Korea.
On Monday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed through a joint investigation with the American-led U.N. Command that North Korean mines, planted just south of the border, exploded and injured the soldiers who were attempting to create a patrol route in a densely vegetated area. The findings were supported by forensic analysis of TNT and other materials collected from the soldiers’ uniforms as well as one additional North Korean mine discovered shortly after the blast.
“Our military strongly urges North Korea to offer a sincere apology to our injured soldiers and immediately remove the mines that it installed in violation of an armistice agreement” that concluded the fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, stated Lt. Gen. Kwon Dae-won, vice chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a televised briefing.
The armistice agreement prohibits any hostile acts “within, from, or against” the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), as well as military or civilian personnel crossings of the military demarcation line without authorization from the armistice commission.
Despite its designation, the DMZ is one of the world’s most heavily militarized areas, estimated to hold around 2 million mines. In recent years, North Korea has intensified its border defenses, declaring South Korea its main adversary.
South Korea’s military claimed that North Korean soldiers breached the border’s military demarcation line 17 times last year and 50 times this year, prompting South Korea to fire warning shots. In November 2025, South Korea suggested talks to clarify the borderline, however, North Korea did not respond.
Kwon noted that South Korean forces removed a North Korean minefield at the blast site on Monday and will continue to eliminate other minefields placed south of the border unless North Korea voluntarily takes action.
While South Korea indicated it would consider unspecified retaliatory measures against North Korea if it is definitively linked to the mine explosions, no substantial punitive actions were announced immediately on Monday.
Previous mine incidents at the border have created significant tensions, notably in 2015 when explosions blamed on North Korea pushed the two Koreas to the brink of armed conflict following South Korea’s resumption of front-line propaganda broadcasts after an 11-year hiatus.
Last week, Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, dismissed the South Korean preliminary assessment as a “conspiratorial farce,” threatening “immediate and merciless retaliatory action” if South Korean forces fired upon North Korean soldiers fortifying the border.
These mine explosions occurred during a sensitive period as South Korea’s government seeks to revive talks between North Korea and the U.S., aiming to facilitate its own discussions with the North and enhance peace prospects on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea has rejected all dialogue overtures with South Korea and the U.S. since the collapse of high-profile negotiations involving Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019.
Recently, North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile claimed to possess low-altitude maneuverability and advanced capabilities, including artificial intelligence. In response, South Korea’s Defense Ministry asserted that both South Korean and U.S. militaries are equipped to intercept such missiles.
