The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced that another North Korean resin (plastic) anti-personnel landmine was discovered during the third day of an on-site joint investigation conducted by the South Korean military and the United Nations Command into a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

This newly found landmine is different from the one that soldiers taking part in the operation stated they had seen at the time of the explosion.

In a press release on the afternoon of September 29, the JCS stated that the South Korean military and the UN Command carried out a joint on-site investigation, adding, "Today, the on-site investigation team discovered one North Korean resin anti-personnel landmine near the explosion site."

It added, "The on-site investigation team assesses this mine to be a resin anti-personnel mine different from the landmine reported by the service members participating in the operation at the time of the blast."

Yang Jin-hyeok, head of operations at the JCS, stated before the National Assembly's National Defense Committee that the mine was identified around 10:00 a.m. today, roughly 1 meter behind the secondary explosion site.

According to photos released by the JCS, the mine, which appears buried at ground level, is brownish, square-shaped, and covered with dirt on its surface.

At the National Defense Committee, when Representative Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party asked about the mine, saying, "Isn't it correct that this was buried, not washed away by flood? Even at a glance, isn't it buried in the ground?" Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul responded, "It was buried."

Service members who participated in the operation during the September 21 explosion previously stated that while withdrawing, they discovered a brownish North Korean resin anti-personnel mine resembling a wooden box mine about 1 meter away from the initial explosion site.

In addition, because two landmines detonated, the military had initially assessed that there were three mines originally at the site.

However, with another mine discovered during today's investigation, it was revealed that at least four mines were present at the scene.

Minister Kang also remarked, "Rather than three (mines), with one more added, it becomes four."

When asked if it is possible for multiple mines to cluster together after being washed away, Minister Kang said "The possibility is low." Regarding the observation that it should be viewed as intentionally planted, he explained, "It is presumed to have been done in connection with (North Korea's) border fortification."

However, he added, "No traces of mine rows are visible," and "It was buried much earlier than when (North Korea) laid mines while establishing mine rows in September 2025."

JCS Vice Chairman Kwon Dae-won mentioned that on-site experts assess the mine to have been there for at least a year.

The JCS stated, "Our military and the UN Command plan to objectively and transparently explain the final investigation results to the public after conducting additional investigations."

(Photo: Yonhap News)