North Korea: "Landmine Explosion Is a South Korean Fabrication... Will Respond Firmly to Even 1mm Incursion" (Update)

North Korea: "South Korean Actions Are a Grave Provocation and a Clear Infringement of Sovereignty"

Following a South Korean military investigation concluding that the landmine explosion in the western front Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) was caused by North Korean mines, North Korea has responded by claiming it is a fabrication orchestrated by South Korea. The North also warned that it would respond forcefully if the South Korean military conducted mine removal operations in the area.

On the afternoon of the 5th, the North Korean side of the new Yalu River Bridge connecting Dandong, Liaoning Province, China, and Sinuiju, North Korea, displays the words "Democratic People's Republic of Korea." Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on October 6, North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement titled, “We Will Exercise Sovereignty in a More Resolute and Explicit Manner Against the Most Hostile States.”

The North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted, “The so-called landmine explosion incident is a sinister obstruction intended to denounce and delay our thorough exercise of sovereignty through fortifying our southern border, by falsely labeling it as a military incursion.” The statement continued, “The South Korean military is attempting to shift responsibility for an unexplained incident that occurred on their own to us, as a shallow ploy to find an escape.”

The ministry further stated, “South Korea’s unilateral fabrication and conclusion, attempting to blame the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for its own staged incident and to tarnish our international reputation, is an absolutely intolerable and major provocation. It is a grave infringement on sovereignty, for which they must be made to pay the price.”

North Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared, “If even a single bootstep or spark from the South Korean military’s mine removal operation crosses into our territory, even by 1 millimeter, the border forces of the DPRK will take immediate and powerful counteractions.” The statement added, “We will defend our sovereign territory not through negotiations, but through the resolute exercise of force.”

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