Three South Korean soldiers seriously injured in DMZ explosion

South Korea is investigating whether a landmine caused the explosion at a western frontline unit near the border.

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An eagle flies over the demilitarized zone near the inter-Korean border, as seen from Paju, Gyeonggi, on Jan. 11, amid North Korea's claims that South Korean drones had entered its airspace.

Three South Korean soldiers were seriously injured Monday in a suspected landmine explosion during an operation in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), military officials said.

The military is investigating how the accident happened and what caused the explosion, which occurred at a frontline unit on the western border. It has not yet been confirmed whether the explosion was caused by a landmine or, if so, whether it was planted by North or South Korean forces.

North Korean troops have been laying mines, installing fences, clearing vegetation and building barriers in the DMZ north of the military demarcation line (MDL) — the line that divides the two Koreas within the DMZ — since 2024.

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South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff have previously confirmed multiple mine explosions during the work along the front, causing numerous casualties among North Korean troops.

North Korean troops have also repeatedly crossed the MDL in recent weeks. According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they crossed the line more than 20 times over the past month, prompting the military to closely monitor their activities near the border.


Updated, Sept. 21, 2026: Updated total number of casualties to three.


BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

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