South Korea: North Korean mines south of MDL breached armistice, minefield cleared
In short
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded that a Sept. 21 landmine explosion on the western DMZ was caused by a North Korean mine placed about 10 metres south of the Military Demarcation Line, an armistice violation, and the military removed the minefield by detonation on Oct. 5. On Oct. 7 the defense ministry said it will pursue joint investigations with the UN Command to formalize such violations and notify North Korea, while the UNC has so far judged only one mine found south of the MDL as a violation.
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South Korea's defense ministry said on Oct. 7 that it will pursue a joint investigation with the United Nations Command into North Korean crossings of the Military Demarcation Line carried out under its so-called border fortification, formalize an armistice violation and notify the North, according to its briefing report to the National Assembly's defense committee. The ministry said it would push for a coordinated response with the UNC, which is responsible for managing the armistice, and urge a halt to violations and restoration of the original state through a notice to the North. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on Oct. 5 that a landmine that exploded on Sept. 21 on the western DMZ was North Korean and located about 10 metres south of the MDL, making it an armistice violation. The JCS said the National Forensic Service found that fragments taken from the wounded matched North Korean plastic anti-personnel mines previously collected from the Imjin River, and that TNT, a brown foreign substance and thermosetting resin were detected in the mine. The UNC assessed the mine as artificially installed more than 12 months earlier, the JCS said. [ 1 , 2 ]
The military removed the minefield by detonation at about 12:51 p.m. on Oct. 5 and released video of the operation. North Korea showed no particular reaction during the operation, the report said. JCS Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-won called on the North to apologise to the wounded soldiers and to immediately remove the mines it installed in violation of the armistice. [ 2 ]
The UNC, which has authority to judge armistice violations, has judged only a single North Korean anti-personnel mine found south of the MDL in a Sept. 29 field survey as a violation, and has held the view that activity north of the MDL is not a violation, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. The South Korean government considers the North's border work itself a violation because it neutralises the buffer zone stipulated in the armistice, according to the same reports. [ 3 , 8 ]
The ministry also reported plans to hold inter-Korean military talks to align the two sides' MDL baselines and restore military communication lines, to strengthen surveillance and response posture for operational initiative in the DMZ, and to review measures to honour and support soldiers wounded in the explosion. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]
Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul, speaking at the audit, said North Korea's foreign ministry — which repeated the North's denial that its mine caused the blast — appeared “considerably perplexed” by the South's response, Asia Economy reported. Kang said he saw grounds to believe hundreds of North Korean mines may be buried south of the MDL but that this must be confirmed with the UNC. [ 8 ]
Why it matters
The dispute tests how far the UN Command, which holds authority to judge armistice violations, will back South Korea's view that the North's border fortification itself breaches the 1953 armistice. It also sets up a possible repeat of mine-clearing operations inside the DMZ and South Korean demands for inter-Korean military talks, at a time when the two sides disagree on where the MDL runs.
Key facts
- South Korea's defense ministry said on Oct. 7 it will pursue a joint investigation with the UN Command into North Korean MDL crossings under its so-called border fortification, formalize an armistice violation and notify the North. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- The Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded that a landmine that exploded on Sept. 21 on the western DMZ was North Korean and was located about 10 metres south of the MDL, making it an armistice violation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The JCS said National Forensic Service analysis matched fragments from the wounded to North Korean plastic anti-personnel mines previously collected from the Imjin River, and that TNT and other components were detected. [ 2 ]
- The military removed the minefield by detonation at about 12:51 p.m. on Oct. 5 and said it will continue clearing operations unless the North removes such mines itself. [ 2 , 3 , 6 , 8 ]
- The UNC judged only one North Korean anti-personnel mine found south of the MDL in a Sept. 29 field survey as an armistice violation, and has held that activity north of the MDL is not a violation, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. [ 3 , 8 ]
- The defense ministry reported plans to hold inter-Korean military talks on aligning MDL baselines and restoring military communication lines, and to strengthen surveillance in the DMZ. [ 3 , 4 , 6 ]
- Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said North Korea's foreign ministry, which repeated the North's denial that its mine caused the blast, appeared “considerably perplexed” by the South's response, Asia Economy reported. [ 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- South Korea's defense ministry said it will pursue a UNC joint investigation, formalize an armistice violation over North Korean MDL crossings and notify the North through a notice urging a halt and restoration. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 ]
- The Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded that the Sept. 21 mine explosion in the DMZ involved a North Korean mine south of the MDL. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The military cleared the minefield in the DMZ and plans to continue mine-clearing operations. [ 2 , 3 , 6 , 8 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the UN Command will treat North Korea's border fortification and other MDL crossings as armistice violations. The defense ministry is seeking UNC cooperation, but Yonhap and Asia Economy report the UNC has viewed activity north of the MDL as not violating the armistice.
- How many North Korean mines are buried south of the MDL. Defense Minister Kang said he partly shares the view that hundreds may be buried but that it must be confirmed with the UNC, according to Asia Economy; no figure is confirmed.
- Whether North Korea will apologise for the wounded soldiers or remove the mines. The JCS called on the North to do so and said the North showed no particular reaction during the removal operation; the documents do not report a North Korean response to the demand.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- The military removes the minefield in the DMZ by detonation, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. [ 2 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports the JCS final judgment that the North Korean mine south of the MDL violated the armistice. [ 1 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports the JCS finding in detail and the minefield removal operation. [ 2 ]
- The defense ministry announces at the National Assembly defense committee audit that it will pursue a UNC joint investigation and an armistice violation notice to the North. [ 3 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports the ministry's plan, including continued mine-clearing and planned inter-Korean military talks. [ 6 ]
- Asia Economy reports Defense Minister Kang's audit remarks, including his response to North Korea's foreign ministry statement. [ 8 ]