JCS Demands North Korea Halt Border Fortification; UNC Also Cites Armistice Violation

[Anchor]

The South Korean military has also issued a statement. It strongly demanded an apology from North Korea, responsible measures, and an immediate halt to its "border fortification" efforts. However, it did not specify what corresponding countermeasures it might take. Meanwhile, the United Nations Command announced that North Korea has violated the Armistice Agreement.

Reporter Choi Jae-yeong has the details.

[Reporter]

Nine days after a landmine explosion occurred on the western front, the South Korean military issued an official statement under the name of the Director of Operations of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It urged North Korea to issue an apology and take responsible measures regarding the serious injuries sustained by South Korean soldiers from North Korean landmines during a routine search operation.

In particular, the military demanded an immediate halt to the border fortification work, stating that the incident occurred as part of that process.

[Kang Hyun-woo / Director of Operations, Joint Chiefs of Staff (Yesterday): "North Korea must immediately halt activities that heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula, including its so-called border fortification, and we strongly urge an apology along with responsible measures from the North."]

The military also made clear that North Korea will bear full responsibility for any future developments.

However, no specific mention was made regarding what corresponding measures the South Korean military might pursue going forward.

The United Nations Command announced, "Through an on-site investigation, one North Korean antipersonnel landmine was discovered south of the Military Demarcation Line on the Republic of Korea side," adding, "It has been determined that a violation of the Armistice Agreement occurred."

As the UNC, which oversees and supervises the Demilitarized Zone under the Armistice Agreement, declared North Korea's violation of the armistice, further weight has been added to the South Korean military's assessment that North Korea bears responsibility for the incident.

The UNC added that it is "taking action in accordance with established Armistice Agreement mechanisms," and is expected to proceed with follow-up steps, including notifying the North Korean side of the armistice violation.

Under UNC procedures, if a violation of the Armistice Agreement is determined, a warning is to be issued through military communication channels and the matter should be resolved to prevent political escalation.

During the 2015 wooden-box landmine incident, the UNC proposed general-level talks to North Korea, but North Korea rejected the proposal at the time.

(Video by Lim Woo-sik and Kim Hyun-sang | Video Editing by Won Hyung-hee | Graphics by Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.