South Korea is preparing to issue a formal demand for North Korea to apologize following a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that resulted in serious injuries to two South Korean soldiers, according to a statement made by a spokesperson from the Ministry of Defense on Tuesday.
The spokesperson, Chung Bin-na, emphasized that South Korea is also urging Pyongyang to engage in negotiations to discuss discrepancies regarding the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) that runs through the DMZ.
The explosion occurred on September 21, injuring three South Korean soldiers, two of whom suffered severe injuries. The South Korean military asserts that the explosion was caused by North Korean landmines, referencing findings from a joint investigation with the United Nations Command that concluded Pyongyang has violated the 73-year-old armistice.
Chung stated that North Korea needs to remove the landmines it has placed in the DMZ, south of the MDL, while noting ongoing disputes regarding the precise route of the line that separates the Korean Peninsula as recognized by both Koreas. These differing perspectives on the border line contribute to heightened tensions in the region.
Sections of the MDL, stretching over 200 kilometers between the east and west coasts and marked by 1,900 posts, have become increasingly difficult to identify after decades of limited access within the DMZ, which was established in 1953 at the conclusion of the Korean War.
In response to the accusations from Seoul, North Korea dismissed the claims as “unfounded” and rejected the request for an apology, as reported by the state-run news agency KCNA. Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, asserted that Pyongyang did not deliberately place mines in the border area, according to KCNA.
