Stories
South Korea Blames North Korean Mines for Border Blasts
- •South Korea concluded that North Korea planted landmines that injured three of its soldiers near the border last month.
- •The Joint Chiefs of Staff urged North Korea to issue a sincere apology and immediately remove the remaining mines.
- •North Korea previously denied responsibility and threatened merciless retaliation if provoked over the incident.
- •The joint investigation utilized forensic analysis of TNT and discovered an additional North Korean mine near the site.
Key Questions Answered
South Korea's military concluded that North Korea planted the mines that exploded south of the border and injured three soldiers on September 21. The final determination followed a joint investigation with the American-led UN Command, forensic analysis of substances like TNT, and the discovery of another North Korea-planted mine.
North Korea denied responsibility for the border explosions, with Kim Jong Un's sister Kim Yo Jong calling the allegations 'dirty' and a pretext for political provocation. North Korea also threatened merciless retaliation if provoked over the case.
South Korea strongly urged North Korea to offer a sincere apology to the injured soldiers and immediately remove mines installed in violation of the armistice agreement. The South Korean military removed a North Korean minefield around the blast site and stated it will remove other minefields placed south of the border unless North Korea eliminates them voluntarily.
