South Korea demands apology from Pyongyang for landmine blasts that injured three

What the report says

South Korea has demanded an apology from North Korea after landmine blasts in the Demilitarised Zone injured three South Korean personnel earlier this month, according to BBC World News. The incidents took place on 21 September on South Korea’s side of the border buffer between the two Koreas, prompting Seoul to say the mines were highly likely to have been laid by North Korea and to accuse Pyongyang of violating the 1953 armistice.

The South Korean military said on Wednesday that North Korea should stop what it described as border fortification activity and be held accountable for the explosions. Defence Minister Kang Shin-chul had earlier called the blasts a clear breach of the armistice that ended the Korean War fighting. North Korea rejected the accusations, with Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, dismissing South Korea’s claims as groundless and accusing Seoul of escalating tensions for political purposes.

The exchange adds to long-running military friction in the DMZ, where mines and other clashes have surfaced over the years. BBC World News noted that the United Nations Command, which took part in the investigation, said it would address the issue through established armistice mechanisms. The dispute matters because the DMZ remains one of the world’s most heavily militarized borders, and incidents there can quickly raise tensions on the peninsula.