Another officer belonging to the Army's 25th Infantry Division, where a suspected landmine explosion recently occurred in the Demilitarized Zone, has been found dead, prompting a military investigation.
According to military authorities and other sources, Captain A, who served at the headquarters of the Army's 25th Infantry Division, was found dead in his quarters on the morning of the 22nd.
It is reported that unit members went to check on Captain A after he failed to report for work, discovering him dead.
So far, no signs of external intrusion or criminal culpability have reportedly been found.
Captain A was in charge of tasks related to military operation planning at the division headquarters and is reportedly not directly connected to the DMZ search operation where the recent suspected landmine explosion occurred.
He finished his duty shift on the morning of the day before yesterday and left work, but returned to the base after being notified of the DMZ explosion situation.
It was ascertained that he returned to his quarters two hours later.
Military authorities and the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency are investigating the specific circumstances of the incident, including the cause of Captain A's death.
Meanwhile, at around 10:50 a.m. the day before yesterday, an accident presumed to be a landmine explosion occurred while a frontline unit of the Army's 25th Infantry Division was conducting a "search route pioneering operation" inside the DMZ along the western front near Paju and Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province.
The accident resulted in three officers suffering severe injuries, including one whose ankle was severed.
It has not been confirmed whether the landmine in question was planted by North Korean troops or the South Korean military. Possibilities being raised include the detonation of an unknown landmine during the DMZ search route opening operation, as well as the possibility that a landmine washed down by heavy rain within North Korean territory exploded.
(Reported by Kim Jiuk | Video by Hong Jin-young | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
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