South Korea suspects North Korean mines behind DMZ blast

What the report says

South Korea said a recent blast in the Demilitarised Zone that wounded three military personnel is suspected to have been caused by North Korean landmines, according to findings from a preliminary investigation conducted with the United Nations Command. The announcement, reported by Al Jazeera on September 28, 2026, came from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and military officials who said the evidence points to recently planted mines near the site.

Army Lieutenant-General Kwon Dae-won said investigators considered the crater, burn pattern and the injuries to the soldiers, and noted that the explosion occurred close to an area where changes in terrain were observed and where North Korean forces are believed to have laid mines. The injured servicemen were hurt on September 21 in the western sector of the DMZ.

The DMZ is the heavily fortified border zone between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war because the Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Al Jazeera noted that the area contains large numbers of mines and has seen periodic accidents, but this case raises the risk of fresh tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang, whose relationship has worsened in recent years. South Korean officials said they would consider appropriate measures if the investigation confirms North Korean responsibility.