Military, UN Command Conduct Investigation at DMZ Landmine Blast Site... Unable to Reach Incident Location, Further Probe Planned

Over 40 Personnel Deployed for Landmine Search and Expansion of Mobility Routes
"Operation Halted Due to Safety Concerns... To Resume at a Later Date"

On September 27, six days after the suspected landmine explosion incident occurred in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the western front, the South Korean military and the United Nations Command began an on-site investigation. The investigation team approached the area near the suspected explosion site but was unable to reach the actual location of the incident, deciding to conduct an additional investigation later.

The military and the United Nations Command conducting mobility path clearance and operational environment investigation activities within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the 26th to investigate the site of a suspected landmine explosion accident that occurred on the western front. Video footage provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced through a media briefing on this day, "Our military and the United Nations Command jointly reached the area near the suspected explosion site within the DMZ today to conduct an on-site investigation related to the suspected landmine explosion." From around 9 a.m. until sunset, personnel from the military and the United Nations Command meticulously searched for mobility routes in the DMZ using mine detectors and secured additional movement paths.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "The investigation area is an unverified mine zone within the DMZ, so the risk level is high, and the operational personnel are experiencing severe fatigue. Prioritizing safety, we decided to end today's operation and will conduct it again at a later date."

About 40 personnel were deployed to the site, including South Korean operational troops, the Secretary of the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission and other commission members, and personnel from investigative agencies. Some of the officers who had participated in the path clearance operation on September 21, the day of the incident, were also involved in the on-site investigation.

On the previous day, about 20 people, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s field investigation task force, members of the Military Armistice Commission, and operational troops, were deployed to the DMZ to secure mobility routes and check the operational environment.

On the previous day, the personnel had reached the existing search route, and on the 27th, they secured a new movement path to approach the area suspected to be the explosion site.

Because the investigation team was unable to reach the actual explosion site, they could not collect any landmine debris that may remain at the accident scene. Securing mine fragments is considered a key clue in determining whether the explosive device was a North Korean or South Korean landmine.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced, "Our military and the United Nations Command plan to thoroughly investigate the cause of the incident through additional field investigations," adding, "We will provide confirmed facts to the public in an objective and transparent manner."

At approximately 10:50 a.m. on September 21, two explosions believed to be caused by landmines occurred in an area adjacent to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, under the jurisdiction of the Army’s 25th Division. As a result of this incident, two people, including the reconnaissance battalion commander, suffered serious injuries, and one person sustained minor injuries.

At the time, to prepare for the United Nations Command’s on-site investigation of areas suspected of North Korean landmines south of the MDL, the South Korean military was paving a new search route in the DMZ.

The military has maintained the position that safety is the highest priority, as the accident site is adjacent to the MDL and there were no existing search routes, in response to criticism from the opposition party over the investigation delay.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.