DMZ mine investigation underway, South questions North's involvement

South Korea’s military is investigating whether a land mine that caused a blast inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) Monday that seriously injured at least two soldiers could have been planted by North Korean troops.

The explosion occurred less than 100 meters (328 feet) from the military demarcation line (MDL) of the two Koreas as the South Korean military prepared to inspect fortification work that North Korean troops have carried out near the MDL.

An unidentified explosion struck a general outpost battalion under the Army’s 25th Infantry Division in the front line city of Paju, Gyeonggi, at around 10:50 a.m. on Monday. A field-grade officer's ankle was partially severed and a noncommissioned officer from an engineering unit was also seriously injured, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). Another noncommissioned officer was reportedly hurt.

The South Korean military sent a helicopter into the DMZ with the cooperation of the United Nations Command (UNC) and rushed the seriously injured soldiers to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital in Gyeonggi.  

“The distance [between the blast site and the MDL] may vary depending on where it is measured from, but the two points are only about 50 meters apart at their closest,” the source said.

South Korean officials have not ruled out any possible cause.

The close proximity between the explosion and the MDL has raised the possibility that a mine planted by North Korean troops near the MDL may have caused the explosion.

“The accident must be thoroughly investigated to determine whether it was caused by a mine planted by North Korean troops or an unidentified mine that had been there previously,” Rep. Yu said.

Authorities have also not ruled out the possibility that a North Korean mine was washed south because the area lies close to the Imjin River which runs from North Korea to South Korea by flowing across the DMZ.

The military is also investigating whether North Korean troops deliberately planted mines south of the MDL, though it considers that possibility unlikely.

If investigators determine that North Korean troops deliberately placed the mine, the incident could sharply raise tensions between the two Koreas, as happened after the 2015 wooden-box mine explosions.

In 2015, wooden-box mines planted by North Korean troops exploded inside the DMZ and cost one South Korean soldier both legs and another part of his right leg.

After that incident, South Korea resumed propaganda broadcasts across the border, including anti-Pyongyang messages, outside news and K-pop music. North Korea later fired artillery, and the South Korean military returned fire.

“We plan to investigate the cause of the explosion with all possibilities open,” a JCS official said.

The latest accident occurred as the South Korean military and the UNC prepared a joint on-site inspection of North Korean fortification work near the MDL. The inspection focused on mine-laying and incursions across the line. The accident may have happened as the unit was opening a new search route in preparation for the inspection.

To avoid any misunderstanding by North Korea, the South Korean military announced that it planned to evacuate the injured by helicopter over loudspeakers at the scene.

It also sent a message to North Korea through UNC channels. The South Korean Army’s 1st Corps, which oversees the 25th Infantry Division, temporarily raised its firepower readiness posture across its entire area of responsibility.

BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]