Three South Korean soldiers injured in DMZ blast

Seoul – Three South Korean military officers were injured in an explosion during an operation near the heavily mined border with North Korea, Seoul’s military said Monday.

The incident occurred south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), one of the world’s most heavily fortified and mined frontiers.

Two of the injured officers were evacuated by helicopter, while a third was due to be transported by road before being airlifted, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

It was not immediately clear whether the explosion was caused by a North Korean mine, a South Korean mine or another explosive device.

The three officers “were injured by an explosion of unknown cause while conducting an operation at a location south of the MDL,” the JCS said in a statement.

The military did not immediately provide details on the severity of their injuries.

The DMZ is a 248-kilometer-long and roughly 4-km-wide buffer zone that has divided the Korean Peninsula since the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War.

While the zone itself is officially demilitarized, its northern and southern boundaries are among the world’s most heavily fortified frontiers and remain littered with landmines.

Around 800,000 mines are estimated to be buried around the area, according to military data cited by Yonhap news agency, many dating to the Korean War although mine-laying has continued in recent years.

Since 2024, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un designated South Korea as his country’s “principal enemy,” Pyongyang’s military has laid mines and built anti-tank barriers along the border as part of efforts to permanently seal off the frontier.

South Korea’s military has previously said several North Korean soldiers were killed or wounded in accidental mine explosions during those works.

Landmine incidents have previously heightened tensions between the two Koreas.

In 2015, two South Korean soldiers were seriously wounded when a landmine exploded on the southern side of the DMZ, with one losing both legs.

Seoul concluded that North Korean troops had crossed the MDL to plant the mines, an accusation Pyongyang denied.

The incident prompted South Korea to resume anti-North Korea loudspeaker broadcasts along the border.

The latest incident comes as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has repeatedly called for unconditional dialogue with the North, overtures that have so far gone unanswered by Pyongyang.