"North Korea Must Halt Fortification," S. Korea Demands; UNC Also Cites Armistice Violation

[Anchor]

After North Korea made far-fetched claims in a statement issued under Kim Yo-jong's name that a landmine explosion was a staged provocation by South Korea, the South Korean military demanded an official apology and responsible measures from North Korea. The United Nations Command (UNC) has also announced that North Korea violated the Armistice Agreement.

Choi Jae-yeong reports.

[Reporter]

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

It urged North Korea to offer an apology and take responsible measures for the severe injuries sustained by South Korean troops from a North Korean military landmine during a routine search operation.

In particular, the military stated that the incident occurred during North Korea's fortification of the border and demanded an immediate halt to such activities.

[Kang Hyun-woo, Director of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (yesterday, September 30): "North Korea must immediately halt activities that escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, including the so-called border fortification, and we strongly urge the North to offer an apology and take responsible measures."]

He also made clear that North Korea bears full responsibility for any future situations that may arise.

However, there was no specific mention of what corresponding actions the South Korean military might take going forward.

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

With the UNC—which oversees and supervises the Demilitarized Zone under the Armistice Agreement—formally declaring North Korea's violation of the armistice, further weight has been added to the South Korean military's assessment that North Korea is responsible for the incident.

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

Under UNC procedures, when an armistice violation is confirmed, a warning is to be delivered through military communication channels, and efforts should be made to resolve the issue to avoid political escalation.

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

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