South Korea and UN Command Launch Joint Probe Into DMZ Landmine Blast

South Korea’s military and the United Nations Command have launched a joint investigation into a suspected landmine explosion inside the Demilitarised Zone that left three South Korean soldiers injured, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Sunday.

A survey team of about 40 officials reached the vicinity of the suspected blast site — south of the Military Demarcation Line separating the two Koreas — and examined the area with mine detectors, the Joint Chiefs said, according to Reuters. The blast struck on September 21 while troops were clearing a patrol route in the western sector of the heavily fortified border area.

President Lee Jae Myung said the explosion was caused by a landmine. The military said it would verify the cause through further searches and publicly disclose the findings, as opposition lawmakers demanded transparency amid suspicions the device may have originated from North Korea.

A presidential official, speaking while accompanying Lee on a state visit to Mexico, pledged an “objective, prompt and thorough investigation” into who was responsible, and ruled out any possibility of a cover-up. Forensic analysis is under way on mine fragments collected at the site to determine their type and origin, Yonhap news agency reported.

Mine blasts are a recurring hazard in and around the DMZ, where legacy devices and suspected stray mines have periodically injured military personnel on both sides, according to Reuters. South Korean media reports said North Korean forces resumed fortification work near the border in March, including mine-laying and fence construction.

Sources

Reuters: South Korean military, UN command launch investigation into DMZ explosion

Yonhap News Agency: South Korean military, UN Command conduct joint probe on DMZ blast site