Democratic Party Condemns North Korea for Violating Armistice with Landmines

The Democratic Party has condemned North Korea for violating the armistice agreement following military confirmation that landmines exploded in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) were planted by the North.

Spokesperson Shin Hyun-young stated in a written briefing on October 5, "The military and UN Command investigations have confirmed that the DMZ landmine explosion was caused by mines planted by North Korean forces," calling it a "clear violation of the armistice agreement."

She added, "Despite this, North Korea continues to evade responsibility. We strongly condemn this behavior," emphasizing that planting landmines in the DMZ is a provocation that threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and undermines international trust.

Shin also demanded that North Korea immediately apologize to the injured South Korean soldiers and remove the planted landmines, insisting that practical measures to prevent recurrence must be implemented without delay.

She urged the military to work closely with the UN Command to ensure compliance with the armistice agreement and to take effective measures regarding North Korean mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) to prevent accidental clashes.

Shin concluded, "The Democratic Party and the government will prioritize the safety of the public and our soldiers while firmly safeguarding South Korea's security sovereignty. We will fulfill our responsibility to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula in cooperation with the international community."

Earlier, on September 21, a landmine exploded while South Korean troops were clearing a search route in the DMZ, injuring three soldiers.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff conducted a joint field investigation with the UN Command from September 26 to 29, announcing the final results on October 5.

Major General Kwon Dae-won, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's field investigation task force, stated during the briefing, "Given the importance of the matter, we conducted multiple assessments with the National Forensic Service and confirmed that the landmines were planted by North Korea."

He further explained, "We have concluded that our soldiers, who were conducting normal DMZ operations south of the MDL, suffered significant injuries due to the anti-personnel mines installed by North Korea under the pretext of fortifying the border."