Kim Yo-jong Flatly Denies Landmine Blast: "Clear Fabrication, Action Guidelines Issued"

North Korea has flatly denied allegations that its landmines caused a recent explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), claiming the incident was "an obvious fabrication."

In a statement dated yesterday (September 29) and released today (September 30) through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yo-jong, vice department director of the Workers' Party of Korea, referred to the South Korean military as "South Korean armed gangsters" and claimed that they "committed another provocative act targeting us."

Kim insisted, "This incident is a clear fabrication that directly resembles the 'wooden-box landmine incident' that stirred up the world about a decade ago in terms of the timing and methods of provocation."

Regarding the South Korean military's mention of "reasonable and corresponding measures," she characterized it as creating "a pretext to justify political and military provocations" and voiced vigilance, citing proposals raised by some within the People Power Party to reinstall frontline loudspeakers broadcasting to North Korea.

Kim argued that the "border reinforcement project" is an "exercise of thorough sovereignty that has nothing to do with military purposes."

She further claimed that the South Korean military has been making "groundless fault-finding" regarding North Korean soldiers crossing the border, asserting that warning broadcasts and warning shots have been conducted almost daily since August even though North Korean soldiers have "never crossed the border line even once."

Kim also warned, "If actual fire is directed at us, our border units will take immediate and merciless retaliation," revealing that "guidelines for counteraction" have already been issued to frontline units.

In particular, she stated, "Our military has decided to take measures to reinforce tactical counterattack assets toward the Demilitarized Zone area of the South Korean military's 3rd Corps 21st Infantry Division, which has frequently engaged in recent provocations."

Kim added, "The dramatic climax of Seoul's fabricated farce will never be pleasant, and the parties who planned the provocation will bear full responsibility for all consequences."

South Korean military authorities assessed that the landmine explosion that occurred in the DMZ on September 28 was highly likely the work of North Korea, stating that they will take corresponding measures if it is ultimately determined to be a mine planted by the North.

During a plenary meeting of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee yesterday (September 29), when asked whether it is certain that the mine was from the North Korean military, Minister of National Defense Kang Shin-chul answered "Yes," and when asked whether he believed it was planted rather than displaced, he also answered "Yes."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.