Explosion in Korean Demilitarised Zone

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that three military officers sustained injuries “as a result of an unspecified explosion” which occurred during a search operation in the DMZ. The area being searched is the responsibility of the 25th Infantry Division of the South Korean Armed Forces.

At present, it has not been determined whether the device belonged to the armed forces of South or North Korea. As indicated by the South Korean broadcaster Yonhap News TV, the possibility that the mine belonged to North Korea cannot be ruled out. It may have been washed across to the southern side of the border by water following heavy downpours during the rainy season. Earlier, the JCS stated that it had identified some terrain changes in certain areas south of the DMZ and was in consultations with the United Nations Command over the possibility that North Korean troops may have planted more landmines.

The Demilitarised Zone has divided the Korean Peninsula since the cessation of hostilities in the Korean War in 1953. The conflict itself has not concluded, and both sides remain formally at war despite the end of active fighting. The DMZ is one of the most heavily mined areas in the world. According to military estimates, there are approximately 800,000 mines in this territory. Pyongyang has intensified the mining process to permanently cut off the border since the beginning of 2024.