North Korea rejects South Korean claim that its landmine injured three soldiers in DMZ

North Korea has denied responsibility for landmine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three South Korean soldiers, rejecting Seoul's finding that North Korean mines were highly likely to have caused the blasts.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a senior official in Pyongyang, described South Korea's accusation as fabricated and warned against what she called attempts to use the incident as a pretext for confrontation.

Her statement was carried by North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday (30 September).

The dispute follows a 21 September explosion in the western section of the DMZ, where South Korean troops were clearing a route ahead of a planned joint inspection with the United Nations Command (UNC).

Three soldiers injured in September 21 blast

The explosion occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which separates the two Koreas, at about 10.50am on 21 September.

Three South Korean military personnel were injured. Two suffered serious wounds, including one who lost an ankle, while the third sustained less severe injuries. The troops were conducting a route-clearance operation using mine detectors when the explosion occurred.

The operation was being carried out to prepare a safe route for a joint South Korean military and UNC inspection of areas where Seoul suspected North Korean troops had planted mines. About a dozen troops were involved in the clearance work.

The military initially said it could not determine whether the mine had been planted by North Korea, left by South Korea or moved by heavy rain. It said all possibilities would remain under investigation.

South Korea finds North Korean mine near blast site

The investigation subsequently produced evidence that South Korean authorities said pointed towards North Korean involvement.

On 28 September, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said its preliminary analysis indicated that North Korean landmines were highly likely to have caused the explosion. Investigators examined the blast crater, flame patterns, injuries and fragments recovered from the site. They also found brown residue but no metal fragments or shrapnel associated with South Korean mines.

The following day, a joint South Korean military and UNC inspection located a North Korean resin antipersonnel mine about one metre behind the site of the second explosion.

The JCS said the mine appeared to be different from one reportedly seen by soldiers retreating from the area after the blast.

Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul said the mine was believed to have been deliberately buried by North Korean forces as part of their border fortification work, rather than having been washed into the area by rain.

South Korea's defence minister described the incident as a violation of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement, which halted active fighting in the Korean War without establishing a peace treaty. He said Seoul would take corresponding measures if the findings were confirmed.

North Korea rejects Seoul’s findings

Kim Yo Jong rejected the South Korean assessment, saying Seoul was "cooking up" allegations against Pyongyang. She described the accusation as an attempt to create grounds for political and military provocation, according to KCNA.

North Korea also warned that it would respond if its troops came under fire, according to the state media report.

The response came after South Korea's military had found the North Korean mine near the blast site and Defence Minister Kang said he believed it had been buried by North Korean forces.

The UNC has not endorsed South Korea's preliminary attribution. After the initial findings were announced on 28 September, the command told Yonhap that it had no further comment while the incident remained under investigation.

Why the border has become more heavily fortified

The incident occurred against the backdrop of a significant deterioration in inter-Korean relations.

Kim Jong Un declared in late 2023 that relations between North and South Korea should be treated as those between two hostile states.

From April 2024, North Korean forces began strengthening sections of the border with additional fencing, mines and anti-tank barriers. North Korea also demolished sections of previously used inter-Korean roads.

The South Korean military has previously warned that mines planted by North Korea could be displaced by heavy rainfall and enter waterways leading towards the South. In July, the JCS warned that mines washed into inter-Korean rivers could pose a danger beyond the immediate border area.

Landmines have caused serious injuries in the DMZ before. In August 2015, three North Korean wooden-box mines exploded on the South Korean side of the border, seriously injuring two South Korean soldiers.

One lost both legs and another lost an ankle. Seoul concluded at the time that North Korean troops had planted the mines, an allegation Pyongyang denied.

The latest investigation remains ongoing, with the South Korean military and UNC conducting further examinations of the blast site. President Lee Jae Myung has called for a thorough investigation and said his government would take necessary measures based on its findings.