South calls for North to halt ‘border fortification’ after DMZ mine blast  

South Korea’s military on Wednesday urged North Korea to immediately halt its “border fortification” activities and called for an apology and responsible measures over a land mine explosion in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on Sept. 21.

“On Sept. 21, our troops suffered serious injuries from North Korean land mines while conducting a routine search operation south of the military demarcation line,” Lt. Gen. Kang Hyun-woo, chief director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the Ministry of National Defense compound in central Seoul.

Lt. Gen. Kang stressed that North Korea has continued to escalate tensions along the inter-Korean border through what it calls “border fortification,” including laying mines near the military demarcation line, despite South Korea’s consistent efforts toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.

“This is a clear violation of the 1950-53 Korean War Armistice Agreement and undermines the spirit of existing inter-Korean agreements, and it must be stopped immediately,” Lt. Gen. Kang said.

“We make clear that North Korea will bear full responsibility for any situations that arise in the future,” Lt. Gen. Kang warned.

Lt. Gen. Kang’s statement marked the South Korean military’s first official message directed at North Korea over the DMZ mine explosion.

By describing the incident as one in which South Korean troops suffered serious injuries from “North Korean land mines,” the military effectively confirmed its assessment that the two mines that exploded in the incident had been planted by North Korean forces.

BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]