North Korea Denies Mine Blame After 3 South Korean Officers Injured
Kim Yo Jong rejects Seoul's findings and threatens retaliation if the South fires on border fortification crews.
KEY POINTS
- Three South Korean officers injured in two explosions on Sept. 21 in western DMZ
- South Korea's military preliminarily blames North Korean mines; U.N. Command cites armistice violation
- Kim Yo Jong denies responsibility, calls findings a "conspiratorial farce"
- North Korea threatens retaliation if South fires on border fortification crews
- South Korea warns of "corresponding measures" pending final investigation
Three South Korean officers were injured in two explosions on September 21 near the military demarcation line in the western DMZ. The blasts occurred during a patrol route operation in an area rarely visited for decades.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Monday a preliminary finding that North Korean mines likely caused the explosions. Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-won cited blast marks, debris, and a suspected third mine found at the scene.
“We will hold North Korea fully responsible for this. Our military will take appropriate and corresponding measures.”
The U.N. Command determined Wednesday that North Korea violated the 1953 armistice agreement. South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul said Seoul would consider "corresponding measures" if the final investigation confirms the North's responsibility.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, called the South's assessment a "conspiratorial farce" on Wednesday. She accused Seoul of fabricating a pretext for military provocation and threatened retaliation if the South fires on North Korean troops building border fortifications.
North Korea has added mines, anti-tank barriers, and front-line fortifications in recent years as relations deteriorated. Kim described the work as a sovereign right to strengthen the border.
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