On September 21, South Korean military personnel discovered an additional North Korean anti-personnel landmine near the site of a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured soldiers. This landmine is assessed to be different from the unexploded ones reported by soldiers at the time of the incident, raising concerns that North Korea may have planted multiple landmines south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on September 29, "Our military and the United Nations Command conducted a joint field investigation today regarding the landmine explosion incident involving the 25th Division in the DMZ," adding, "We found one North Korean anti-personnel landmine near the explosion site."
They further explained, "The investigation team evaluates that this landmine is different from the one reported by the soldiers who participated in the operation during the explosion."
This discovery increases the likelihood that there were more landmines in the vicinity of the explosion than previously known. It was initially estimated that two landmines exploded during the incident, and soldiers had reported witnessing an additional unexploded landmine.
If all these landmines are confirmed to be distinct entities, it would indicate that there were at least four landmines in the area. The key focus of the investigation will be understanding how North Korean landmines came to be present south of the MDL. If it is confirmed that multiple landmines were intentionally planted over a certain area, it would constitute a violation of the armistice agreement.
About 30 personnel, including South Korean military operational forces and the UN Command Military Armistice Commission Secretary, participated in the field investigation, along with some officials who were involved in the operation on September 21.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "Our military and the UN Command plan to provide an objective and transparent explanation of the final investigation results to the public after conducting further investigations."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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