South Korea reviews diplomatic response to North Korean DMZ mine blast

South Korea is reviewing diplomatic responses to mine explosions inside the Demilitarized Zone, Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said on Oct. 6 during a parliamentary audit. The Joint Chiefs of Staff concluded a day earlier that North Korean land mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line wounded three soldiers on Sept. 21, two of them seriously, a defence ministry spokesperson said.japantimes.co.jp+1

The blasts occurred while South Korean troops were clearing a path for a joint inspection with the United Nations Command to verify suspicions that Pyongyang had illegally planted land mines south of the border, in violation of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. Cho said the ministry is reviewing what it can do and will work with the National Security Council to formulate the government's response.

What the investigation found

Cho said the review includes past responses involving the United Nations, and lawmakers noted that a similar incident in 2015 could serve as a reference. In 2015, three wooden-box North Korean land mines exploded south of the inter-Korean border, seriously injuring two South Korean soldiers. Seoul subsequently sent a letter to the president of the U.N. Security Council through its ambassador to the U.N., expressing regret and urging Pyongyang to refrain from further provocations.channelnewsasia.com

The military conducted a mine-clearing operation at the blast site, which Seoul's defence minister has called the first such mission inside the DMZ in history. The military vowed to continue mine-removal operations in the area if North Korea does not voluntarily remove the mines it planted, while urging Pyongyang to apologise to the injured soldiers.

A defence ministry spokesperson, Chung Bin-na, said on Oct. 6 that South Korea is preparing a response to force North Korea to apologise, and is also calling on Pyongyang to come to the table to discuss the misalignment of the Military Demarcation Line, which bisects the DMZ. Chung did not specify what measures would be taken. The line stretches more than 200km between the east and west coasts with 1,900 markers.

Border line differs between the two Koreas

Chung said there are differences in the exact line that separates the Korean Peninsula as recognised by the two Koreas, and that differing views of the border line are one factor contributing to tension in the area. Some sections of the Military Demarcation Line have become difficult to identify after decades of limited access inside the DMZ since it was drawn up in 1953 at the end of the Korean War.

North Korea on Friday rejected as groundless Seoul's accusation that North Korean mines seriously wounded South Korean soldiers in the DMZ and dismissed Seoul's demand for an apology, state news agency KCNA reported. Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said Pyongyang had not deliberately planted mines in the border zone, according to KCNA. North Korea has denied responsibility and warned of retaliation if South Korea takes corresponding action.

What North Korea has said

Cho rejected the claim that the government may have delayed its response out of concern about provoking North Korea. He said firmly making demands on North Korea and managing the situation so it does not unnecessarily escalate are two sides of the same coin, and that South Korea will continue efforts on both fronts. Cho also said he agreed with the need to clarify the Military Demarcation Line.

The defence ministry spokesperson said South Korea insists that North Korea must remove the mines it planted in the DMZ south of the Military Demarcation Line. The military's investigation was conducted jointly with the United Nations Command, which has said an armistice breach occurred. North Korea denied planting the mines deliberately, according to KCNA.

Foreign Minister Cho said the ministry is reviewing various diplomatic measures while seeking to prevent the situation from escalating unnecessarily, and will work with the National Security Council to formulate the government's response. The review also covers past responses involving the United Nations, with lawmakers pointing to the 2015 mine explosions as a reference for how Seoul might proceed.

South Korea is preparing measures in cooperation with the United Nations Command to encourage Pyongyang to respond to efforts to clarify the Military Demarcation Line, Cho said. The military has vowed to continue mine-removal operations if North Korea does not voluntarily remove its mines and has urged an apology to the injured soldiers, while North Korea has warned of retaliation.