South Korea says North Korean mines caused DMZ explosion, demands apology
In short
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Oct 5 that a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone was caused by anti-personnel mines laid by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line, and demanded an apology and the immediate removal of the mines. JCS Deputy Chief Kwon Dae-won said a joint on-site investigation with the UN Command from Sept 26 to 29 found resin anti-personnel mines laid by the North Korean military again near the explosion site. North Korea's Kim Yo-jong, in an Oct 2 statement reported by KCNA, called the South Korean conclusion “absurd” and the incident a “self-staged new farce.”
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South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Oct 5 that a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone was caused by anti-personnel mines laid by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line, and demanded that Pyongyang apologize and immediately remove the mines, according to CLS, Yicai and Jiemian. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Joint Chiefs of Staff Deputy Chief Kwon Dae-won said at the press conference that the South Korean military and the UN Command carried out a joint on-site investigation from Sept 26 to 29, and that resin anti-personnel mines laid by the North Korean military were found again near the site of the explosion. [ 1 , 2 ]
North Korea has rejected the South Korean account. Yicai, citing the Korean Central News Agency, reported that Kim Yo-jong, a department director of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, said in a statement on Oct 2 that the explosion was a “self-staged new farce” by the South and that the South's conclusion that the North was responsible was “absurd.” She also accused South Korea of trying to drag the situation on the Korean peninsula back into danger. [ 2 ]
No North Korean response to the Oct 5 final investigation result has been reported in these documents. Xinhua carried the announcement as a headline item stating that South Korea published the final investigation result, without further detail in the available feed summary. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The announcement places the South's account of the frontier incident on the record, together with an official demand for an apology and for mine clearance that Pyongyang has already rejected as fabricated. With the UN Command taking part in the on-site investigation and both sides issuing public statements, the Demilitarized Zone incident remains a live inter-Korean issue rather than a closed one.
Key facts
- South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on Oct 5 the final investigation result of the Demilitarized Zone landmine explosion, saying it was caused by anti-personnel mines laid by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- South Korea demanded that North Korea apologize and immediately clear the mines. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Joint Chiefs of Staff Deputy Chief Kwon Dae-won said the South Korean military and the UN Command conducted a joint on-site investigation from Sept 26 to 29. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kwon Dae-won said resin anti-personnel mines laid by the North Korean military were found again near the explosion site. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Kim Yo-jong, a department director of the Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, said in an Oct 2 statement that the explosion was a “self-staged new farce” by South Korea and that the South's conclusion was “absurd,” according to Yicai's citation of KCNA. [ 2 ]
- Kim Yo-jong also accused South Korea of trying to drag the situation on the Korean peninsula back into danger. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced the final investigation result of the Demilitarized Zone landmine explosion, attributing it to anti-personnel mines laid by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- South Korea demanded that North Korea apologize and immediately remove the mines. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A joint on-site investigation by the South Korean military and the UN Command was held from Sept 26 to 29, and resin anti-personnel mines laid by the North Korean military were found again near the explosion site, according to Deputy Chief Kwon Dae-won. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- What the landmine explosion was, when it happened and whether anyone was killed or injured. The documents report the conclusions of the investigation but give no details of the incident itself.
- How North Korea has responded to the final investigation result announced on Oct 5. Kim Yo-jong's statement, reported by Yicai on Oct 2 citing KCNA, predates the announcement.
- The North Korean rejection of the South Korean conclusion is carried by only one outlet in this set. Only Yicai reports Kim Yo-jong's remarks, attributing them to a KCNA report.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- CLS reports that South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff held a press conference announcing the final investigation result of the Demilitarized Zone landmine explosion. [ 1 ]
- Yicai reports the announcement and also cites KCNA's account of Kim Yo-jong's rejection of the South Korean conclusion. [ 2 ]
- Jiemian reports the announcement, citing Xinhua. [ 3 ]
- Xinhua carries a report titled “South Korea publishes final investigation result of the DMZ landmine explosion.” [ 4 ]