South Korea Urges North to Halt Border Hardening After DMZ Blast

New Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul urged North Korea on Tuesday to cease its border-hardening measures along the inter-Korean border.

Kang made these remarks following his inauguration, after a suspected landmine blast south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) on the western inter-Korean border injured three South Korean military officers on Monday. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the blast. Speculation suggests the blast may have been triggered by a landmine illegally planted by North Korea on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Kang stated that South Korea will not tip-toe around Pyongyang's actions and agreed to issue a firm warning about North Korea's fencing and mine-laying activities. He said there are secondary effects from North Korea's border-hardening, and the explosion could be one of them. The South Korean military has not yet confirmed if the suspected mine blast occurred at a site where North Korea is suspected of illegally laying mines across the border.

Two senior military officers suffered serious injuries, including one who lost an ankle, but none of the three officers are believed to have suffered life-threatening injuries. The blast occurred around 10:50 a.m. Investigators have not determined if the suspected mine belonged to South Korea, was planted by North Korean troops, or originated in the North and was displaced by heavy rainfall.

The United Nations Command expressed concern in June about weather-related mine migration inside the DMZ. North Korea has been expanding fortifications and other construction inside the DMZ since April 2024.