North Korea accuses South Korea of fabricating DMZ landmine blast at UN
Pyongyang sends letter to UN Security Council rejecting Seoul's claim that North Korean landmines caused a September explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers.
At a glance
- North Korea told the UN Security Council that South Korea fabricated a September landmine blast in the DMZ.
- South Korea and the UN Command say North Korean landmines caused the explosion that injured three soldiers.
- Both sides have exchanged letters at the UN while Seoul proposed military talks to clarify the border.
North Korea has formally accused South Korea of fabricating a landmine explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers last month, according to a letter sent to the United Nations Security Council on Sunday. The North Korean permanent representative to the UN described the incident as a "sinister obstructive move" designed to portray Pyongyang as a military aggressor.
The dispute centres on a September 21 blast inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas. South Korea's military blamed North Korean landmines for the explosion, which wounded three soldiers. Seoul subsequently sent its own letter to the UNSC president last week, calling the blast a clear violation of the 1953 Armistice Agreement that ended hostilities in the Korean War. The US-led UN Command also concluded that mine placement by North Korea breached the armistice.
Pyongyang rejects the allegations entirely. In its letter, the North Korean envoy argued that the country's ongoing border fortification — including the construction of tactical roads and fences near the Military Demarcation Line — is a legitimate exercise of sovereignty under the UN Charter. The letter also criticised South Korea for firing warning shots at North Korean personnel who cross the demarcation line, a practice Seoul says is necessary to prevent accidental clashes.
Tensions have risen as both sides exchange diplomatic protests. Days before North Korea's UN letter, South Korea's Defence Ministry proposed military talks to mutually confirm the precise location of their border in order to reduce the risk of accidental confrontations. Pyongyang has not publicly responded to that proposal.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- What does North Korea claim about the September landmine blast?
- North Korea says South Korea fabricated the incident to falsely accuse Pyongyang of a military invasion.
- What is South Korea's position on the blast?
- South Korea blames North Korean landmines for the September 21 explosion that wounded three soldiers and calls it a violation of the armistice agreement.
- Has either side proposed talks to reduce tension?
- South Korea's Defence Ministry proposed military talks to confirm the border location, but North Korea has not publicly responded.
