Defense Minister Criticizes North Korea's Mine Provocation in Philippines: "Clear Violation of Armistice Agreement"

On the 29th, Minister of National Defense Kang Shincheol described North Korean troops’ laying of mines along the western front of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as “a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and an act of provocation.” Saying that the cutoff in communication between the two Koreas could lead to further clashes, Kang urged North Korea to respond to a proposal for military talks.

South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shincheol speaks at the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in the Philippines on Oct. 29, 2026. Ministry of National Defense, Yonhap News Agency.

In his speech at the plenary session of the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus), held in Cebu, the Philippines, that day, Kang said, “Last September, our service members, who were carrying out a routine mission south of the Military Demarcation Line, were seriously injured when mines planted by North Korea exploded.”

“What is even more concerning is that, even in this situation, there are no communication channels through which we can ask questions and verify information with each other,” he said. “When communication is cut off, it is difficult to confirm the other side’s intentions, and the risk that mutual distrust and tensions will escalate into further clashes and crises grows even greater.”

“Dialogue is the minimum safeguard against crises and the starting point for restoring trust,” Kang said. “The Republic of Korea proposed inter-Korean military talks twice, once last year and once this year.” He added, “We hope North Korea will respond and come to the negotiating table.”

On the 23rd, the Ministry of National Defense proposed that the two Koreas mutually confirm the precise location of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and discuss restoring military communication lines and preventing accidental clashes in border areas. This was the second proposal for military talks since November last year, but North Korea has not responded.

Kang also commented on North Korea’s launch of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea that day, saying, “Even as we speak, North Korea is threatening the security of the Korean Peninsula and the region by launching multiple missiles.”

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea launched around 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea from the Wonsan area at about 12:30 p.m. that day. On military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, he also said, “The Russia-Ukraine war, now in its fifth year, has led to military cooperation between North Korea and Russia,” adding, “This is helping North Korea advance its nuclear and missile capabilities.”

This was the first multilateral security meeting Kang had attended since taking office. On the sidelines of the meeting, he held talks with defense ministers from major countries in the region and discussed ways to expand defense exchanges and defense industry cooperation. The previous day, Kang held his first in-person meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. They agreed to hold the 58th U.S.-ROK Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) early next year, following bilateral talks in Washington next month.

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