North Korean landmine blasts in DMZ a ‘violation of armistice,’ Seoul says
Seoul Says DMZ Mine Explosions Breached Armistice Terms
Poinews.com – South Korea has said that landmine explosions which injured three of its soldiers in the Demilitarised Zone were apparently caused by mines planted by North Korea, describing the incident as a breach of the armistice that halted the Korean War.
One of the troops injured in the blasts last week lost a foot. The explosions took place inside the DMZ, the heavily militarised buffer separating North and South Korea since the 1953 armistice. Although fighting stopped more than seven decades ago, the two countries never signed a peace treaty and remain technically at war.
Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday that Seoul held Pyongyang responsible and would respond in stages. His remarks followed the defence ministry’s earlier assessment that North Korean mines were highly likely to have been involved in the incident.
This is a clear violation of the armistice agreement and since North Korea bears responsibility, we will take corresponding measures.
Kang did not set out which measures might be used, but said the military had several options available. The government’s response will be closely watched because incidents within the DMZ can rapidly heighten tensions on one of the world’s most fortified frontiers.
Investigation finds unexploded mine
The South Korean military was operating in the zone as part of preparations for a joint activity with the UN Command. The mission was intended to examine terrain changes south of the Military Demarcation Line, the line that serves as the effective border between the two Koreas.
During an investigation at the site on Tuesday, the Joint Chiefs of Staff found an unexploded North Korean plastic anti-personnel mine, Yang Jin-hyeok told lawmakers. The discovery strengthened the military’s preliminary conclusion over the source of the blasts.
Kwon Dae-won, vice chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said two mines detonated during the 21 September incident. A third unexploded device was located as soldiers withdrew from the area after the initial explosions.
Taking into account the crater and the pattern of the flames from the explosion, the extent of the injuries sustained by the service members...we assess that North Korean landmines are highly suspected to have caused the blast.
Kang said personnel involved in the operation had been using the latest mine-detection equipment. However, dense vegetation made the search more difficult, because clearing every plant as forces moved through the area was not feasible.
Our current assessment is that the mines may not have been detected because the detectors were being operated too far above the ground.
The episode underlines the continuing danger posed by mines in the DMZ. The area was designed as a buffer after the Korean War armistice, but both sides of its boundaries are heavily defended. Mines, fencing, surveillance systems and military positions remain central features of the landscape.
A border shaped by unresolved conflict
North Korea has increased construction and mine-laying activity along the frontier since 2024, when leader Kim Jong-un described South Korea as the country’s “principal enemy.” Its military has installed anti-tank barriers and laid mines as part of an effort to seal the border more permanently.
The current case also recalls a serious mine incident in 2015. Two South Korean soldiers were badly hurt after a blast on the southern side of the DMZ, with one soldier losing both legs. Seoul concluded at the time that North Korean troops had crossed the Military Demarcation Line to place the mines, an allegation denied by Pyongyang.
That earlier incident led South Korea to restart anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts near the border, demonstrating how mine-related confrontations can spill into wider political and military pressure.
For now, Seoul has not publicly detailed the practical steps it will take following the latest explosions. Kang said the response would be implemented gradually, while the military continues to assess the threat posed by unexploded devices and the difficult terrain in the affected part of the DMZ.
The incident is a reminder that the armistice has preserved an uneasy pause in hostilities rather than a lasting peace. Even routine military work near the boundary can carry significant risk, particularly where vegetation, old defensive positions and newly laid explosives complicate efforts to secure the ground.
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