South Korea suspects North Korean mines behind DMZ blast
The report into the explosion in Demilitarized Zone threatens to provoke renewed tension between the two Koreas.
South Korea has said it suspects that a recent explosion in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that injured three military personnel was caused by North Korean landmines.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Monday that the preliminary findings of an investigation with the United Nations Command indicated that recently planted landmines were involved. The report threatens to provoke increased tensions between the rivals, who technically remain at war.
“Taking into account the crater and the pattern of the flames from the explosion, the extent of the injuries sustained by the service members … we assess that North Korean landmines are highly suspected to have caused the blast,” Army Lieutenant-General Kwon Dae-won, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.
There are an estimated 2 million mines in and around the DMZ, which periodically cause explosions that injure military personnel.