Joint Chiefs: "North Korea Must Immediately Halt Border Fortification" (Comprehensive)

United Nations Command: "Armistice Violation"

North Korea Pushes Back: "An Obvious Fabrication"

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated on the 30th, "North Korea must immediately cease activities that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula, such as the so-called 'fortification of the border line.' We strongly urge North Korea to offer an apology and take responsible measures. We also make it clear that North Korea will bear full responsibility for any future incidents that may occur."

Kang Hyunwoo, Chief of the Joint Operations Headquarters (Lieutenant General), delivered this stance in a statement regarding the explosion accident in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the western front on the 21st. He stated, "There was an incident where our soldiers, who were conducting a normal search operation south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), were severely injured by North Korean landmines." Kang further explained, "Despite the consistent efforts of our government to maintain peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, North Korea has persistently planted landmines near the MDL and continued with this so-called 'fortification of the border line.' This is a key reason for escalating tensions in inter-Korean border areas. Such actions are a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and undermine the spirit of past inter-Korean agreements, and they must be stopped immediately."

Kang Hyunwoo, Chief of Joint Operations Headquarters, is entering the briefing room at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 30th to make a statement regarding the landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Photo by Yonhap News

The United Nations Command also issued a statement on the same day, saying, "We discovered one North Korean anti-personnel mine south of the MDL on our side," adding, "We have judged this to be a violation of the Armistice Agreement and are taking actions in accordance with the established armistice system." Both the military and the UN Command believe there is a strong possibility that more mines are buried in the area.

Previously, during the third joint on-site investigation at the DMZ landmine explosion site, the military and the United Nations Command revealed that they discovered an additional North Korean plastic anti-personnel mine planted close to the site of the accident. The military believes this mine is different from the one witnessed by soldiers at the time of the explosion on the 21st. On the 28th, the military publicly announced interim findings showing that the explosion in the DMZ was highly likely caused by a North Korean landmine, and that if it is ultimately confirmed to have been planted by North Korea, 'corresponding measures' will be taken. On the 29th, Minister of National Defense Kang Shinchul appeared before the National Assembly and stated, "It appears that North Korea planted the mines as part of its border fortification efforts."

In response, on the 30th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Yo-jong, Director of the Secretariat of the Workers' Party of Korea, claimed in a statement, "This incident is clearly a self-fabricated farce, vividly reminiscent of the 'box mine incident' that stirred up controversy over ten years ago, both in timing and method." This is the first time North Korea has commented on the incident in nine days since the explosion on the 21st. The statement was not published in domestic outlets such as Rodong Sinmun or the Korean Central Broadcasting Station, which are accessible to North Korean residents.

The "box mine incident" mentioned by Director Kim refers to a landmine explosion in 2015, in which North Korean troops are suspected to have crossed to the southern side of the MDL and planted mines, resulting in a South Korean non-commissioned officer being seriously injured. Kim Yo-jong stated, "It is absurd and the height of sophistry for the South Koreans to immediately blame others for the incident and attempt to fabricate 'material evidence' to justify their claims."

There is also considerable attention on how the military will respond moving forward. Options being considered include deploying more reconnaissance assets and increasing surveillance troops near the MDL. However, given the potential burden on our military, some believe priority should be given to measures such as condemning North Korea through the international community, including referring the matter to the UN Security Council, and urging a North Korean apology and prevention of recurrence.

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