South Korea military blames North Korean DMZ mines for injuries, clears site
Version 2: The update adds the forensic findings behind the military’s conclusion, the mine-clearing operation the JCS says was carried out at the site that day, and the divided reactions of the ruling and opposition parties.
In short
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Oct 5 that its final investigation concluded a mine explosion on the western front DMZ that injured soldiers was caused by North Korean mines laid south of the Military Demarcation Line. The military said it removed the North Korean minefield south of the MDL that day and demanded that North Korea apologise and clear the mines. The ruling Democratic Party condemned the incident as an armistice violation while the opposition People Power Party criticised the government’s response.
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South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Oct 5 that its final investigation concluded that a mine explosion on the western front Demilitarized Zone that injured South Korean soldiers was caused by North Korean mines laid south of the Military Demarcation Line. JCS Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-won announced the results at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul, saying the conclusion rested on a joint on-site survey with the United Nations Command carried out from Sept 26 to Sept 29 and on a National Forensic Service appraisal received on Oct 2, according to SBS News and Newsis. [ 6 , 16 , 17 ]
Kwon said the joint team confirmed three points — the two explosion craters and the spot where an additional North Korean mine was found on Sept 29 — at about 10 metres south of the MDL, which he said violated the Armistice Agreement. Newsis reported that the National Forensic Service found TNT, a brown foreign substance and thermosetting resin, identifying the device as a North Korean plastic anti-personnel mine, and matched fragments taken from the injured soldiers with mines previously recovered from the Imjin River. Kwon said mines at the site were found buried several centimetres deep, indicating they had been emplaced rather than washed away, and that the UNC assessed they were positioned artificially within the previous 12 months. [ 16 , 17 ]
On casualties, the military said 18 troops had been committed to the operation, with two seriously injured and one lightly injured soldier still in hospital; of the 15 discharged, two received additional outpatient care and 13 were being managed so medical support could be provided at any time, SBS News reported. Kwon said the North Korean minefield south of the MDL was removed at around 12:51 pm that day by detonating the mines, and that the military would keep clearing mines confirmed south of the MDL. Hankook Ilbo reported that the JCS did not disclose the clearing radius or the equipment used, citing security. [ 6 , 12 , 17 ]
The military urged North Korea to offer a sincere apology to the injured soldiers and to immediately remove mines it said were installed in violation of the Armistice Agreement. No document reports any response from North Korea. [ 6 , 11 , 16 ]
The announcement drew divided reactions. The ruling Democratic Party called the mine laying a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and a provocation, and demanded an apology and the removal of the mines, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. The opposition People Power Party criticised the government’s response, with chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon calling the military a “vegetable army” and saying the response amounted to giving up security sovereignty; spokesperson Ham In-kyung said it would send the signal that provocations carry no cost. [ 15 , 18 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 25 ]
Yonhap reported that although the military confirmed the cause of the injuries, its initial response was more restrained than in 2015. Hankook Ilbo reported that the JCS also said it is discussing with the United Nations Command how to align their respective MDL reference lines, noting that the South Korean military uses a line from a 2004 military map while the UNC applies a line built in 2016 from about 23,000 coordinate points at 10-metre intervals. [ 17 , 24 ]
Why it matters
The military attributes the injuries to mines it says were laid in violation of the Armistice Agreement, and it carried out a mine-clearing operation south of the MDL on the day it announced the finding. Because the on-site investigation was conducted with the United Nations Command and the JCS says it is discussing how to align differing MDL reference lines, the incident touches the armistice framework as well as relations between the two Koreas. The documents record no response from North Korea, and the political reaction in Seoul has been divided.
Key facts
- The Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Oct 5 that its final judgment was that the injuries to South Korean soldiers were caused by North Korean mines installed south of the Military Demarcation Line. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 10 , 13 , 16 , 17 ]
- JCS Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-won announced the final investigation results at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul. [ 6 , 12 , 17 ]
- The joint on-site investigation was carried out with the United Nations Command from Sept 26 to Sept 29, and the National Forensic Service appraisal was received on Oct 2. [ 6 , 16 , 17 ]
- Of the 18 troops committed to the operation, two seriously injured and one lightly injured soldier were still hospitalised; of the 15 discharged, two received additional outpatient care and 13 were being managed for medical support. [ 6 , 17 ]
- The military said the North Korean minefield south of the MDL was removed on Oct 5, at around 12:51 pm by detonating the mines. [ 5 , 12 , 16 , 17 ]
- The military demanded that North Korea offer a sincere apology to the injured soldiers and immediately remove mines it said were installed in violation of the Armistice Agreement. [ 6 , 11 , 16 ]
- The ruling Democratic Party condemned the mine laying as a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement and demanded an apology and the removal of the mines. [ 15 , 18 , 21 , 22 ]
- The opposition People Power Party criticised the government’s response as inadequate and demanded strong corresponding measures. [ 20 , 22 , 23 , 25 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Joint Chiefs of Staff said its final judgment was that the injuries to South Korean soldiers were caused by North Korean mines installed south of the Military Demarcation Line. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 10 , 13 , 16 , 17 ]
- The military said the North Korean minefield south of the MDL was removed on Oct 5. [ 5 , 12 , 16 , 17 ]
- The military demanded that North Korea apologise to the injured soldiers and remove the mines. [ 6 , 11 , 16 ]
- Three soldiers were injured in the explosion, with two seriously injured and one lightly injured still in hospital. [ 6 , 23 , 25 ]
- The National Forensic Service identified the device as a North Korean plastic anti-personnel mine after comparing fragments from the injured with mines previously recovered from the Imjin River. [ 16 , 17 ]
- The joint on-site investigation was conducted with the United Nations Command from Sept 26 to Sept 29. [ 6 , 16 , 17 ]
- The ruling Democratic Party condemned the mine laying as a violation of the Armistice Agreement and demanded an apology and the removal of the mines. [ 15 , 18 , 21 , 22 ]
- The opposition People Power Party criticised the government’s response and demanded strong corresponding measures. [ 20 , 22 , 23 , 25 ]
Still unclear
- North Korea’s response to the finding and the mine-clearing operation None of the documents reports any statement or reaction from North Korea.
- The scale of the mine-clearing operation, including the radius cleared and the equipment used One outlet reports that the JCS declined to disclose these details, citing security, so no figure can be established from the documents.
- How the differing MDL reference lines used by South Korea and the United Nations Command will be reconciled Only one outlet reports that the JCS says talks with the UNC are under way, and the documents give no outcome.
- What the two explosion craters and the burial depths indicate in precise terms The burial depths and crater spacing are reported by single outlets in the summary of the briefing, without independent confirmation.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The military removes the North Korean minefield south of the MDL by detonating the mines, according to JCS Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-won. [ 17 ]
- Yonhap and Asia Economy report the military’s final judgment that a North Korean mine south of the MDL caused the soldiers’ injuries. [ 3 , 4 ]
- SBS News and Dong-A Ilbo report the JCS announcement, including the Sept 26–29 joint UN Command on-site survey, the National Forensic Service appraisal received Oct 2 and the hospitalisation of two seriously injured and one lightly injured soldier. [ 6 , 7 ]
- SBS News reports Kwon Dae-won saying the North Korean mines south of the MDL had been removed that day. [ 12 ]
- Newsis reports the ruling Democratic Party condemning North Korea and demanding an apology and the removal of the mines. [ 15 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the clearing operation was carried out by detonating the mines and that the military will continue clearing operations where mines are confirmed south of the MDL. [ 17 ]
- Yonhap reports the People Power Party criticising the response to the announcement. [ 20 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the ruling and opposition parties taking differing positions on the military’s announcement. [ 22 ]
- Maeil Business reports the People Power Party’s chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon calling the military a “vegetable army” and demanding strong corresponding measures. [ 25 ]