South Korea says North appeared taken aback by DMZ mine findings

South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul told lawmakers in Seoul on Wednesday, October 7, that North Korea appeared taken aback by South Korea’s findings on a September mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone and its subsequent mine-clearing operation. His assessment followed Pyongyang’s rejection of Seoul’s conclusion that North Korean mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line injured South Korean troops. The dispute matters as Seoul considers further clearance at suspected sites along the border.

Kang pointed to the North Korean Foreign Ministry’s statement, which arrived about a day after South Korea announced its final findings and began clearing mines. He also noted that the response came from the ministry. Those observations underpin his interpretation of Pyongyang’s reaction; they do not establish what North Korean officials privately thought.

What South Korea found at the DMZ blast site

The September 21 explosions injured three members of an 18-person South Korean operation, according to the South Korean military’s October 5 briefing. Two were seriously injured and one was lightly injured; all three remained in hospital when the briefing was given. Earlier NewsJaws coverage reported South Korea’s call for an apology after the blast. The new development is Kang’s account of North Korea’s response to the completed investigation and mine clearance.

South Korea’s joint investigation team said it examined the site with the U.N. Command from September 26 to 29 and incorporated National Forensic Service results received on October 2. In its published briefing, the team said GPS measurements placed the explosion sites and a mine about 10 metres south of the Military Demarcation Line. It judged that location to be an armistice violation.

South Korea concluded that mines laid by North Korean forces during border fortification work caused the injuries. Its military said it removed the identified minefield at 12:51 p.m. on October 5, in coordination with the U.N. Command and with measures intended to prevent an accidental clash. Seoul called on North Korea to apologise and remove mines it says were placed south of the line.

How North Korea responded to the mine investigation

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry rejected Seoul’s findings as fabricated and accused the South of using the blast to shift blame and obstruct North Korean border fortification. According to NK News, its statement was carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency and warned of an immediate, powerful response if South Korean demining forces crossed into North Korean territory. That warning concerns a crossing into territory Pyongyang claims; it does not establish that South Korea’s October 5 operation crossed the line.

Further mine sites require joint verification

Kang said the October 5 operation had cleared all mines in the particular area where it took place. Asked by an opposition lawmaker about the possibility of hundreds of North Korean mines south of the demarcation line, he said the military shared a similar assessment. He described several suspected locations without naming them and said their status required joint verification with the U.N. Command. The number and locations of further mines therefore remain unconfirmed in the public account.

South Korea’s military says it will continue removing mines it assesses were placed south of the line if North Korea does not remove them voluntarily. Kang said further measures would follow the joint probe. The Defense Ministry also told lawmakers it plans to formalize its position that North Korean border activity violated the armistice and to demand an end to border breaches and restoration of the DMZ.