Three Soldiers Injured in Western Front Landmine Blast: Could It Be North Korean?

[Anchor]

Three soldiers were injured yesterday (September 21) when a landmine exploded in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the western front. The accident occurred during an operation to clear a reconnaissance path, and there is a possibility that the mine was planted by the North Korean military.

Defense Correspondent Kim Tae-hoon reports.

[Reporter]

Around 10:50 a.m. yesterday.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced that three soldiers were injured in an unidentified explosion within the operational area of the Army's 25th Division inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the western front.

A JCS official stated, "The accident occurred in the DMZ between the Military Demarcation Line and the Southern Limit Line on the western front," adding, "Two severely injured officers were airlifted by helicopter to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital and are receiving treatment."

The official added that the other service members who took part in the operation, including another injured officer, also underwent thorough medical examinations at the Armed Forces Capital Hospital.

President Lee Jae-myung wrote on social media, "I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured soldiers," emphasizing, "The government will provide all necessary support for their treatment and recovery."

The incident reportedly occurred during an operation to clear a path for reconnaissance patrols.

The military is currently investigating the type of explosive and who planted it, while a key government official told SBS, "The explosive has been confirmed to be a landmine."

The official particularly noted, "Given that the accident occurred in an area our troops do not normally traverse, we cannot rule out the possibility that it was planted by the North Korean military."

The North Korean military has reportedly planted new landmines recently after crossing the Military Demarcation Line into the 25th Division's operational zone.

[Yoo Yong-weon / People Power Party Lawmaker: I have already revealed that in the 25th Division's guard sector alone, six sites, including minefields laid by the North Korean military, crossed the Military Demarcation Line by about 10 to 15 meters.]

However, the military maintains the position that the site of yesterday's explosion does not precisely match the locations where the terrain altered due to North Korea's so-called "border-making" efforts, such as landmine placement.

This marks the first landmine explosion accident inside the DMZ in about 10 months, since November last year.

The most recent landmine explosion resulting from a North Korean provocation was the "wooden-box mine" incident on August 4, 2015.

Video by Kim Hyun-sang and Lee Seung-hwan | Video Editing by Kim Jin-won | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.